Syrian flag carrier Syrian Air is discussing with Russia the purchase of new MC-21 passenger jets, the airline's CEO, Talal Abdulkarim, told Sputnik on Thursday. 'Some time ago, we contacted the Russian side directly to discuss a purchase of MC-21 jets. Our company wants to be the first in buying these aircraft from this high-tech brand', Abdulkarim said in an interview. [...]

Syrian air defences have downed several "hostile targets" over the country's southern region, Syrian news agency SANA reported. A Syrian security source reported that the air defences downed an Israeli combat plane and four missiles. Israeli military has refuted the claims about the downing. [...]

The Israeli military has described reports that one of its jets was brought down while carrying out airstrikes in Syria as “bogus,” amid reports that the country’s air defense systems engaged and downed several “hostile targets”. [...]

China’s state-owned energy major CNPC has replaced France’s Total in Iran’s South Pars gas project, according to Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh. The French company withdrew from Iran under pressure of US sanctions. [...]

The US promised to "gradually reduce" its presence in Iraq in February after Baghdad declared victory over Daesh (ISIS)* last December, but has declined to withdraw its contingent from the country. In August, the US-led coalition said the estimated 5,200 US troops in Iraq would stay in the country "as long as needed." [...]

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif slammed US President Donald Trump for announcing US intention to continue cooperating with Saudi Arabia despite the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Turkey. [...]

Earlier, the envoy claimed that US troops would be staying in the Arab Republic until the "enduring defeat" of Daesh*. He also said that Bashar Assad should not govern the country in the future, noting, however, that it's not the US' job to oust him. [...]

Syrian state media has repeatedly reported about the coalition’s airstrikes in the area of the Syrian city of Hajin leaving dozens of civilians dead, while the US-led coalition fiercely denies conducting strikes. [...]

A prominent international watchdog has launched an online investigative project that will allow Internet users worldwide to track the destruction caused by the US-led coalition's bombardment of Syria's Raqqa in 2017 that has resulted in numerous civilian casualties and the city being nearly completely razed to the ground. [...]

Although officially condemning the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Washington is unwilling to antagonise Riyadh, which it sees as an important business partner and a “great ally” in the region. [...]

Assuming the position of Defense Minister after several high-profile resignations, Israeli Pime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, for the sake of national security, warned remaining ministers against pushing for an early election. [...]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the United States on Sunday for voting against the UN resolution condemning Israel for occupying the Golan Heights area located at the Israeli-Syrian border. "On Thursday, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman informed me on the US decision to vote against the regular resolution slamming us for our presence in the Golan Heights. [...]

Residents of the Syrian province of Suwayda, grateful for their liberation from the captivity of Daesh* terrorists, lifted Syrian President Bashar Assad onto their shoulders during an official reception. [...]

This week, multiple media reports alleged that the Israeli military was training to destroy Russian-made air defence systems, including the S-300s recently delivered to Syria. The reports followed an expression of hope by the US that Russia would allow Tel Aviv to resume its airstrikes against so-called "Iranian targets" in the Arab Republic. [...]

The US has sanctioned 17 Saudi nationals for their alleged role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The list includes a former top aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Saudi Consul General Mohammed Alotaibi. [...]

Seventeen years after the US invasion of Afghanistan, many residents of the country have changed their minds for the worse on the Americans. The war, by many measures, keeps getting worse. [...]

In pushing the SWIFT financial messaging system to exclude Iran, the US has “gone rogue,” economist Steve Keen told RT. SWIFT cut a raft of Iranian banks - including the country’s central bank - off from its system on Monday, having come under pressure from the US to do so. [...]

The Iranian Central Bank has been cut off the SWIFT financial messaging system, the US Treasury Department has said. Disconnection makes it more difficult for the Islamic Republic to settle import and export bills. [...]

After reimposing crippling sanctions on Iran this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened that Iran should “act like a normal country, or see its economy crumble.” But, how exactly does a ‘normal’ country act? Since the dictat was issued from Washington DC, it seems only fair to start there. Is the United States itself a ‘normal’ country? What makes a ‘normal’ country as [...]

As the United States continues to slap Iran with sanctions, Washington allowed several countries, including South Korea, to purchase certain limited amount of Iranian oil without fear of reprisal. The governments of Iran and South Korea have agreed to forgo the use of US dollar in bilateral trade and instead switch to their respective national currencies in such transactions as Washington moves to [...]

The recordings that could reveal the killing of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Turkey in shocking detail have been shared with France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and the US, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said. [...]

The unusually frank quarterly report to Congress on the US's military operations against Daesh* in Syria and Iraq also hints that Washington has no exit strategy once the terrorists are defeated. [...]