The Trump administration is warning Russia that supplying Syria with an advanced missile defense system would be a "major mistake" and should be reconsidered. It also says U.S. forces will not leave Syria until Iran leaves.

U.S. troops have been fighting Islamic State militants in Syria for four years and will remain in eastern portions of the war-torn country until American leaders are convinced the terrorist group cannot mount a return, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday.

As crowds flowed down Ahvaz's streets, cries of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" rose from the mourners. While a traditional chant in the years since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, they have taken on a new meaning.

On the same day Arab separatists killed at least 25 people in an attack targeting a military parade in southwestern Iran, President Donald Trump's lawyer mounted a stage in New York to declare that the government would be toppled.

Angry Basra residents have repeatedly taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest failing government services, including water contamination that sent thousands to hospitals.

Horas al-Din, Arabic for Guardians of Religion, called the deal to establish the zone by Oct. 15 a "great conspiracy."

The group appealed Sunday for President Donald Trump to declare Abbas a "persona non grata."

Militants disguised as soldiers opened fire Saturday on an annual Iranian military parade in the country's oil-rich southwest, killing at least 25 people and wounding over 60 in the deadliest terror attack to strike the country in nearly a decade.

As the chief backer of Syria's embattled opposition, Turkey now faces a perilous task. It must disarm its rebel allies in Syria's Idlib province, under a new agreement with Russia, and eliminate the hardcore jihadists in their midst.

In a statement Saturday, Pakistan's military said security forces raided militant hideouts in the Gharlamai and Spera Kunar Algad areas of North Waziristan near the border with Afghanistan, setting off a shootout.

Militants disguised as soldiers opened fire on an annual Iranian military parade in the country's oil-rich southwest, killing at least 25 people and wounding over 60 in the deadliest terror attack to strike the country in nearly a decade.

Turkey will soon conduct joint patrols with U.S. forces in the strategic northern Syrian town of Manbij, once a stronghold of the Islamic State group, a top Turkish official said on Friday.

In the hours after a suspected terrorist attack on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz on Saturday left more than two dozen dead, countries from around the world offered their sympathies to the victims. Some analysts wondered, however, why there wasn't a stronger response from the United States.

An Afghan official says at least eight children have been killed in a roadside bomb explosion in northern Faryab province.

Iran's air force is carrying out a drill near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, the passageway for nearly a third of all oil traded by sea, the country's official IRNA news agency said Friday.

An Israeli military official says its "deconfliction line" with Russia for their air forces in Syria will be improved after a Russian plane was hit by Syrian forces responding to an Israeli raid.

Lebanon says FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed support to the Lebanese army during a visit to Beirut. The Lebanese army last year captured areas along the Syrian border controlled by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked fighters.

The Kremlin reacted coolly to a condolence telegram from Syrian President Bashar Assad sent two days after his forces downed a Russian military plane, while Moscow toned down its initial criticism of Israel over the incident.

A high-level Israeli military delegation visited Moscow on Thursday to present detailed information related to the downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces that responded to an Israeli air raid.

Ismail al-Ithawi was part of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's inner circle and was responsible for religious edicts, finances and designing the educational curriculum for the Islamic State's once-vast area of control across Iraq and Syria.

The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah militia said Wednesday his group may reduce the number of its fighters in Syria because of an easing of the conflict, particularly after a recent Russian-Turkey agreement that prevented an offensive on the last rebel stronghold.

An Egyptian court on Thursday ordered the release from detention of former president Hosni Mubarak's two sons, overturning a ruling by another court whose judge surprisingly told police to arrest them and send them to prison.

The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah boasted Thursday the group now possesses "highly accurate" missiles despite Israeli attempts to prevent it from acquiring such weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted Israel's offer to share detailed information on the Israeli airstrike in Syria that triggered fire by Syrian forces which downed a Russian reconnaissance plane, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

Thousands of people who were recently displaced by violence in northwest Syria have returned home following a Russia-Turkey deal that averted a government offensive on the last major rebel stronghold, Syrian opposition activists said Wednesday.

An Iranian government-aligned group of hackers launched a major campaign targeting Mideast energy firms and others ahead of U.S. sanctions on Iran, a cybersecurity firm said Tuesday, warning further attacks remain possible as America re-imposes others on Tehran.

Egypt's crackdown on freedom of expression under the rule of general-turned-president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has reached "alarming" and "unprecedented" levels, Amnesty International said Tuesday, calling for the unconditional release of Egyptians jailed for peacefully expressing their views.

The U.N. food agency said Wednesday time was running out for aid groups working in Yemen to prevent a "devastating" famine in the war-torn country.

Iran remains the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, the Trump administration said Wednesday in an annual report that also highlighted another drop in terrorist attacks worldwide.

Analysis

Conflicting interpretations of a new Russian-Turkish deal on Syria emerged Tuesday, casting into doubt whether it will work long term in preventing a potentially devastating war for control of the Syrian province of Idlib.

Analysis

Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi’s looming downfall speaks to the wrath of a growing force in Iraqi politics: an electorate more concerned with the performance of its leaders than their sectarian or ethnic affiliations.

If realized, it will be the first case of Ground Self-Defense Force participation in "internationally coordinated operations for peace and safety," which became possible under the security-related laws that came into force in 2016.

A Russian reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by a Syrian missile over the Mediterranean Sea, killing all 15 people on board. "The Israeli pilots were using the Russian aircraft as a shield and pushed it into the line of fire of the Syrian defense," said a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman.

Nearly 17 years after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, the international coalition in Kabul is putting down new roots with hardened permanent structures to replace temporary ones at its headquarters in the increasingly violent capital.

As the decisive stand for their last stronghold looms, this motley crew of tens of thousands of opposition fighters, including some of the world's most radical groups, is looking for ways to salvage whatever is possible of an armed rebellion that at one point in the seven-year conflict controlled more than half of the country.

The Taliban launched multiple attacks on Afghan checkpoints as well as police and military bases in different parts of the country, killing at least 27 members of the security forces, Afghan officials said Monday.

The leaders of Russia and Turkey on Monday announced that a deep demilitarized zone will be established in Syria's Idlib region, the last bastion of anti-government rebels where fears had been high of a devastating offensive by government forces.

Gaza's Health Ministry said early Tuesday that paramedics recovered two bodies after an overnight Israeli airstrike near the perimeter fence with Israel.

The U.N. envoy for Afghanistan said Monday that the war-torn country is in its best position since 2001 to start the process leading to peace talks with the Taliban.

The 66-year-old Frank Romano was detained on Friday in the embattled village of Khan al-Ahmar, along with two Palestinian activists.

The Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt for some 300 years — from around 320 B.C. to about 30 B.C.

An Israeli opposition lawmaker on Sunday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dismiss his ambassador to the United States for failing to report sexual assault allegations against a top Netanyahu aide, ballooning an already embarrassing scandal for the Israeli leader.

Ari Fuld was a well-known English-language internet commenter on current affairs and the weekly Torah study. He was known for his nationalist ideology and strong support for the Israeli military.

Polls opened Sunday, with more than 40,000 candidates competing for 18,478 council seats, according to the Ministry of Local Administration.

At least five army personnel, all crew members of a military helicopter, were killed late Friday when their aircraft crashed and caught fire in western Afghanistan.

Israel attacked Damascus International Airport with missiles Saturday night, Syrian state media said, adding that air defenses shot down some of them. A war monitoring group said the attack targeted an arms depot for Iranian forces or Lebanon's Hezbollah group.

Acting on a judge's order, Egyptian police detained the sons of former president Hosni Mubarak on Saturday along with three others in connection with insider trading charges for which the five are on trial, security officials said.

Amid escalating political wrangling, Iraqi lawmakers elected an Iran-backed Sunni Arab as speaker of parliament on Saturday, the first step in forming a new government four months after national elections.

When James Riney’s mother took him shopping for new bedding to outfit his room in their new house, the 4-year-old considered a few options: first sharks, then dinosaurs, then comic book superheroes. He passed on all three.

After spending nearly $90 million on an ambitious program designed to provide employment for women and promote gender equality in Afghanistan, the U.S. development agency could find jobs for just 55 women, said a new report by a government watchdog.

In cities and towns across Syria's last opposition-held province, Idlib, residents poured into the streets on Friday to demonstrate against President Bashar Assad's government in defiance of an expected offensive to retake the territory.

The Israeli military said about 13,000 protesters massed at several points along the fence, some burning tires and hurling rocks, grenades and firebombs. An Israeli officer suffered light wounds from pipe bomb shrapnel.

Fort Bragg soldiers are once again at the helm of the fight against the Islamic State. Hundreds of soldiers with the 18th Airborne Corps, led by Lt. Gen. Paul J. LaCamera and Command Sgt. Maj. Charles W. Albertson, assumed authority for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve on Thursday in Baghdad.

Germany's Foreign Ministry says the U.S. decision to shut down the Palestinians' de facto embassy in Washington could complicate trying to get Palestinians and Israelis back to the table to talk about a two-state solution in the Middle East.

"The situation has deteriorated dramatically in the past few days," said Lise Grande, the top U.N. humanitarian official in Yemen. "Families are absolutely terrified by the bombardment, shelling and airstrikes. People are struggling to survive."

Turkey sent in military reinforcements Thursday to beef up its positions inside Syria's last rebel bastion Idlib, activists reported, even as the Turkish defense minister said Ankara is still trying with Russia and Iran to prevent a humanitarian tragedy in the case of a threatened Syrian government offensive.

Pakistan's military says security forces acting on intelligence have raided a militant hideout, triggering a shootout that left three soldiers and four militants dead in the northwest near neighboring Afghanistan.

An Afghan official says Taliban attacks have killed at least 10 soldiers and two policemen.

Spain will go ahead with a shipment of precision bombs to Saudi Arabia, officials said Thursday, reversing on a previous decision and angering activists who claim the weapons could harm civilians in Yemen.

U.S. 5th Fleet is participating in three exercises in the Middle East focused on critical chokepoints in the region, amid recent tensions at sea with Iran.

Wednesday marks a new era for the war in Afghanistan and the young people who make up the bulk of enlistees. It is the first day someone born after the terrorist attacks can enlist, at age 17, and begin a path to serve in the seemingly endless war launched in response to those attacks.

Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested Wednesday that Germany must be prepared to respond if chemical weapons are used in war zones, remarks that come amid a debate over possible military involvement in the Syrian conflict.

The Trump administration on Wednesday formally endorsed the efforts of key Persian Gulf allies to protect civilians in Yemen, signaling its support in a new report to Congress for Arab partners despite widespread criticism of their role in that country's civil war.

Syrian Democratic Forces launched the third phase of ground operations to clear Islamic State fighters from northeastern Syria on Monday, following cross-border air and artillery strikes from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

Several Afghans interviewed across the country told Stars and Stripes they either didn’t know why the private memorial was taking place or didn’t believe the terror attacks happened the way they did.

The Trump administration faces a stark choice this week over the war in Yemen in what could be a defining moment for the president's foreign policy and U.S. ties with Middle Eastern allies.

ANALYSIS

Far from vanquishing the extremist group and its associated “franchises,” critics say, U.S. policies in the Mideast appear to have encouraged its spread.

Ordinary life came to a standstill in the Afghan capital on Sunday with businesses largely shut and many people forced to stay indoors as thousands of young men brandishing knives and assault rifles took to the streets and fired indiscriminately, mostly into the air.

For years, the occupants residing in a northern Virginia mansion, measuring 17,000 square feet, employed a number of domestic workers, one of whom claims she was subjected to human trafficking, forced labor and psychological abuse, and was paid less than $2 per hour.

Fresh off a sit-down with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Virginia state Sen. Richard Black turned up on Arab TV last week making an extraordinary claim about one of the United States' closest allies. Black said Britain's MI6 intelligence service was planning a chemical weapons attack on the Syrian people, which it would then blame on Assad.

Syrian and Russian warplanes launched dozens of airstrikes on Syria's northern province of Idlib on Saturday, a monitoring group said, intensifying pressure on the country's last rebel stronghold after crisis talks yielded no progress.

An Afghan official says at least 16 people, including women and children, have been killed in a traffic accident in the country's southern Kandahar province.

Army Staff Sgt. Bryan McQueen has a minor brain injury following an attack in Afghanistan, but he will head home to his high school sweetheart wife and newborn son in a few days — a fate his mother said is an answer to her prayers.

The Trump administration has warned both Russia and the Syrian government against a planned offensive in Idlib province in northwest Syria, the largest remaining pocket of rebel fighters who have tried, and failed, over the past seven years to oust President Bashar Assad.

Although the military campaign against the Islamic State has been nearly completed, the Trump administration has redefined its goals to include the exit of all Iranian military and proxy forces from Syria, and establishment of a stable, nonthreatening government acceptable to all Syrians and the international community.

video

In anticipation of the long-awaited rollout of the Meal, Ready to Eat pepperoni pizza, Stars and Stripes flew several of the military ration’s main pizza entrees into Afghanistan for taste tests with the troops. Here's what they had to say.

Barakat Ali Bashar — known as “Andy” to troops — sacrificed his life to save then-Staff Sgt. Jay McBride from a suicide bomber in 2007. Now McBride is trying to evacuate his rescuer's family from war-torn Iraqi Kurdistan.

Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Bolyard, who was killed in an apparent insider attack on Monday, had a calm demeanor and a gift for seeing what needed to be done in a difficult situation, fellow soldiers said.

Two months ago, the long-awaited release of an ambitious U.S. plan for peace between Israelis and Palestinians seemed imminent. But the proposal hit a wall when Gulf Arab states flatly rejected terms they saw as radical, pro-Israel and out of line with traditional U.S. policy and international law.

The choice of Zalmay Khalilzad as a U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan has raised some hackles in the region, with many saying the veteran diplomat's tough stance on Pakistan could hinder his mission to convince a resurgent Taliban to engage in peace talks.

As the first Afghan-run election since the Taliban regime fell in 2001, the Oct. 20 poll is seen as a democratic milestone and a make-or-break step toward successful presidential elections in April. But the election is already under violent threat from Afghan insurgents.

Iraqi authorities were bracing for a fresh round of violent protests on Wednesday after security forces killed six demonstrators over the last two days during angry marches in Basra over the lack of basic services and government corruption.

This is the seventh American fatality in the country this year and comes a day after a servicemember died of wounds in a suspected insider attack.

The founder of the Haqqani network, an insurgent group known for high-profile attacks on both military and civilian targets in Afghanistan, has died after a long illness, according to a Taliban spokesman.airstrike.

Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern turned anti-bullying advocate, walked offstage Monday night at a conference in Jerusalem when she was asked a question relating to former president Bill Clinton.

Russian warplanes in Syria bombed the country's final rebel stronghold Tuesday, a monitoring group said, ending a weeks-long period of uneasy calm there and raising fears that an all-out offensive would follow.

Public Prosecution officials in Saudi Arabia tweeted Monday that committing an "informational crime" on social media that "affects public order, religious values and public morals" could result in a five-year prison term and a fine of $800,000.

An American servicemember has been killed and another wounded in an apparent insider attack in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, according to a news release from Resolute Support.

For more than three years, Fuah and Kfarya — whose residents support the government — have lived under a siege imposed by rebels in Idlib province fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. Evacuations had been promised before, only to be called off.

Austin "Scott" Miller faces a stark central question as he becomes the United States' newest commander in Afghanistan this weekend: With local forces struggling and questions swirling about President Donald Trump's support for the war, how long will America persist?

At a military cemetery on the wooded slopes of Israel's Mount Carmel, Safwan Marich walks besides the graves of soldiers killed in service for Israel. Marich and the slain soldiers interred here are members of Israel's minority Druze community, known for its fierce dedication to the Israeli state and service in the armed forces. "Why did they fight? For whom? For their nation?" Marich asks.

ANALYSIS

After seven brutal years of war, all signs are pointing to a final showdown in Syria.

U.S. Navy sailors seized more than 1,000 AK-47s from a small, disabled boat in the Gulf of Aden this week after boarding the vessel to determine its nation of origin, service officials said Thursday.

More equipment should be arriving in Afghanistan this fall. Until then, gear for Morale, Welfare and Recreation is coming from an ad hoc scrounging process, finding one set of dumbbells here, digging up an ab machine there.

Members of the 557th Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineer — or “Red Horse” Squadron — have spent the past four months building a new home for Bagram Air Field's top hospital for damaged aircraft.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Iran should stop pinning its hopes on Europe saving the international nuclear deal battered by the U.S. withdrawal, as he signaled his nation too may exit the agreement.

The U.S. military will continue to operate in the Persian Gulf, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, rejecting a claim by a top Iranian commander that his ships were in full control of the strategic waterway and that American warships have no place in the region.

The United States will maintain a permanent diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, but the Pentagon does not expect an endless large-scale military mission there, the most senior U.S. military officer said Tuesday.

ANALYSIS

Safwan al-Sharjabi became the latest Muslim cleric to die in a long series of unsolved murders. As many as 27 clerics have been killed in the past two years in the Yemen town of Aden and nearby areas.

The abrupt resignation of President Ashraf Ghani's national security adviser and reports of turmoil involving three other top officials have exposed deep conflict and confusion in the U.S.-backed government over how to protect the country and deal with an insurgency that might be seeking to end the 17-year conflict.