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3,700 People Arrested During Anti-Government Protests
In Iran, anti-government protests came to a head as over 3,000 people were arrested. These six days of protest, which broke out in December and continued into the new year, were mainly in protest against President Hassan Rouhani's government, calling out a stagnant economy, corruption and rising food and fuel prices. Among those arrested were 40 to 68 students. -
Iranian-Canadian Environmentalist Dies in Iran Prison
Kavous Seyed Emami, prominent environmentalist, died on February 8th, less than a month after he was arrested along with seven other colleges on January 24th. Emami was one of the country's most revered professors and head of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation. His death, one of multiples "suicides" linked to protests in the past month, came as a shock to his family and sparked controversy online. -
U.N. steps up for children in Syria
According to U.N. children’s fund, the children in a province in NW Syria are living under the violence and attacks without any protection. Earlier this week, 17 children were killed after the shelter was attacked and UNICEF is calling on the fighters in Idlib to spare the children. The Aid Workers are trying to prevent the scale of suffering and trauma and to help children with the years of lost learning. -
Farming should be at heart of Syria reconstruction
A high-level U.N. official stated that the international efforts to rebuild Syria once the civil war is over should focused on the farming to quickly recover the economy and improve livelihoods of people in Syria. Before many thousands of years, Syria was a long breadbasket for the area and people were employed in farming. However, there are 6.5 M people with lack of food after the war started. -
US embassy moves to Jerusalem
Jerusalem is an important area in the middle east because of the religion, politics, and history of the area. Israel was happy with the embassy move, but Arab and western countries were upset by it. The event has caused protests and political tensions. -
Saudi Arabia Driving Ban
The driving ban was officially lifted for women in Saudi Arabia. Before the ban was lifted, Saudi Arabia was the only country left in the world where women could not drive. Most Saudi Arabians were supportive of the change, however some men showed opposition and hostility through social media. -
Israeli Soldier Killed by Palestinian Sniper Near Gaza
An Israeli soldier was killed by Palestinian snipers on the border of Gaza. This death caused Israeli airstrikes to unleash on Hamas targets in Gaza. As a result, four Palestinians, mostly Hamas operatives, died. -
UN Calls on Saudi Arabia to Release Human Rights Activists
Beginning in mid-May of 2018, human rights defenders and activists were targeted, and some detained. The UN reported that at least 15 government critics had been detained. But in August, the UN called for an immediate release of all the activists in Saudi Arabia. 8 were temporarily released, waiting for case reviews. But political activists continue in their efforts to bring about change in the midst of reprisal. -
S-300 missile system: Russia upgrades Syrian air defences
At the time, Israel’s military was conducting airstrikes on Syria. Because of this, Syrian forces believed an incoming Russian plane to be an Israeli aircraft, and they shot it down, killing all 15 Russians on board. Although they did this, Russia blamed Israel and agreed to supply Syria with a more advanced S-300 missile defense system. -
The Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi
Khashoggi, a writer for the Washington Post, was know to be very outspoken toward the Saudi Arabian government. He disappeared within the walls of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Although it was never confirmed by the U.S. government, and was denied by the Saudi government, CIA reports concluded that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia ordered the reporter to be killed. At the end of November, President Trump stated that there was no definitive evidence linking the Prince to the murder. -
U.S. Sanctions on Iran
President Trump’s administration placed economic sanctions on Iran, with the claim that the Iranian nuclear agreement did nothing to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. This “economic war” has spurred the 5 other countries who still support the accord, have begun alternative payment system to maintain trade with Iran. Europeans fear the US taking steps to destabilize Iran, which could cause security and immigration problems. These sanctions pose to further isolate the US. -
Trump Withdraws U.S. Forces From Syria
Contradicting the word of several senior advisors, President Trump made the abrupt decision to pull American troops out of Syria, claiming that the US “won against ISIS.” The withdrawal leaves US allies still fighting exposed to troops of the Islamic state, and threatens future US effort to gain the trust of local fighters, as we did with the Kurds, who are now exposed to attack from Turkey. The withdrawal will be taken as a surrender of Western influence in Syria to Russia and Iran.
