Middle East Experience

The US currently has two batteries of Iron Dome which was developed by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: US air defense chief praises Iron Dome and close partnership with Israel

Authorities on Wednesday announced a new set of restrictions..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Qatar clamps down with more restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge – Doha News | Qatar

A report in Al-Watan newspaper said the ban was part of new measures taken by the government to stem the devaluation of the Syrian pound against the US dollar..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Syria halts cellphone imports to shore up forex reserves

‘Our nation testifies that your task is accomplished … It is with men like you that nations rise up’..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Sheikh Hamdan’s death: Sheikh Mohammed writes touching poem for brother

Iran has improved several key military capabilities, from expanding its drone fleet to a christening a new naval vessel.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Iran says it made five major military improvements last year

Saudi Arabia on Thursday reported a surge in the number of coronavirus cases with 482 new infections detected, bringing the total number of cases to 386,782, according to the Ministry of Health.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The number of recoveries rose by 360 to 375,831, and the death toll rose by six to 6,630.Workers in certain fields in Saudi Arabia will be required to take a PCR test every seven days at the expense of their employer if they are not vaccinated, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing announced on Wednesday.Employees in barbershops, female salons, restaurants, cafes, and food outlets must be vaccinated starting from May 13, the ministry said.Read more:Saudi Arabia requires PCR test every week for some unvaccinated workersSaudi Arabia launches digital ID project on ‘Tawakkalna’ appSaudi Arabia reports 466 COVID-19 cases, six deaths
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia reports surge in COVID-19 cases with 482 infections

Iran has reportedly fired a missile at an Israeli-owned ship in the Arabian Sea, Israeli Channel 12 reports.The Israeli-owned ship was attacked by a missile in the Arabian Sea but has continued on its course from Tanzania to India, according to an Al Arabiya correspondent.There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials on the incident.A month ago, Israel said Iran was responsible for an explosion on an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman.The ship, a vehicle-carrier named MV Helios Ray, suffered an explosion in the Gulf of Oman between Thursday and Friday morning. A US defense official in Washington said the blast had left holes above the waterline in both sides of the hull. The cause was not immediately clear and no casualties were reported.Read more:Iran ‘Resistance Axis’ likely behind Israeli-owned ship blast: Khamenei-linked dailyIran denies being behind blast on Israeli-owned ship in Oman gulfIsrael says initial assessment is Iran behind explosion on Israeli-owned ship(With inputs from Reuters)
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran reportedly fires missile at Israeli-owned ship in the Arabian Sea: Report

Many questions have been raised about Egyptian cooperation with Israel in irrigation and agricultural projects, in light of Egyptian concerns about the impact of the Nile dam on the water and agricultural fields.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Is Egypt seeking Israeli expertise in water management amid Nile dam crisis?

Gideon Saar’s New Hope party garnered only six Knesset seats, but has managed to seriously destabilize the coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Bittersweet victory for Israel’s Gideon Saar

At least 32 people were killed and 66 injured Friday when two trains collided in southern Egypt, the health ministry said, the latest deadly rail accident to hit the country.A statement said dozens of ambulances rushed to the scene in the Tahta district of Sohag province, some 460 kilometers (285 miles) south of the capital Cairo.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“32 people were killed and 66 injured” and transported to hospital, the statement said.Video footage seen by AFP showed several carriages overturned.Egypt’s railway authority said on Friday that two trains collided causing dozens of casualties after emergency brakes were triggered by “unknown individuals.”The brakes caused one of the trains to stop and the other to crash into it from behind, and the authority is conducting further investigations, it said. Egypt has been plagued with deadly train accidents in recent years that have been widely blamed on inadequate infrastructure and poor maintenance.One of the deadliest occurred in 2002 when 373 people died as a fire ripped through a crowded train south of Cairo, and there have been many fatal crashes since.In March last year, at least 13 people were injured when two passenger trains collided in Cairo, triggering a brief suspension of rail services nationwide.At the time rail managers blamed the crash on signals not functioning in bad weather.And in February 2019, a train derailed and caught fire at Cairo’s main railway station killing more than 20 people and prompting the transport minister to resign.Friday’s crash comes as Egypt faces another major transport challenge, with a giant container ship blocking the Suez Canal and causing huge traffic jams at either end of the strategic shipping lane.The MV Ever Given, which is longer than four football fields, has been wedged diagonally across the entire canal since Tuesday, shutting the waterway in both directions.Tugboats and dredgers were working Friday to free the vessel as companies were forced to re-route services from the vital shipping lane around the southern tip of Africa.Read more:Egypt arrests six over Cairo train crash that killed 25Egypt signs MOU with Siemens for building $23 bln high-speed electric train lineEgypt: Passenger train derails near city of Aswan, 6 injured
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: More than 30 people killed, 66 others injured after trains collide in Egypt