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Since its inception in 1993, the Sharjah Biennial has become the biggest art event in the Arab world. It is an enormous cultural podium whose breadth, scope, and ambition is unrivaled in the region. Encompassing new commissioned pieces, film screenings, video and audio installations, and copious talks throughout its lengthy duration, the Sharjah Biennial has transcended its fine arts origins to evolve into a global endeavor.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced that he will increase government budget for the Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) next month.

A prominent Iran-backed Iraqi militia commander has accused the United States of providing weapons and food to Islamic State fighters trapped in western Mosul, according to Fars News Agency, an Iranian outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.).

Marking the 38th anniversary of the creation of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.), the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff said Wednesday that the country’s elite force has turned into a “strategic asset” and a “defense shield” not only for Iran but also for the “Islamic Resistance in the region

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ remarks about Iran’s destabilizing influence in the Middle East prompted an angry reaction from Tehran. The Iranian defense minister rejected the allegations by the top U.S.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned Wednesday that Iran’s “enemies” use intimidation and scare tactics to achieve their goals, and called on political and military lea

A senior Iranian Quds Force official arrived in Baghdad today to start his new position as the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to Iraq, the Iranian

The Russian military police has started training local militia forces in the Syrian governorate of Aleppo, according to Fars News Agency, an Iranian outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.).

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan will visit Moscow next week to meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu, Iranian and Russian media report.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the country’s military budget has seen a 145 percent increase during his four year in office.

In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Gonul Tol, Gerald Feierstein, Alex Vatanka, and Marvin G. Weinbaum provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the victory of Turkish President Erdogan’s “Yes” constitutional referendum campaign to increase his powers, Secretary of Defense Mattis’ trip to the Middle East, the entry of 1,600 candidates for the upcoming Iranian presidential elections, and the alarming violence in Pakistan against accused “blasphemers”.

President Hassan Rouhani has said that the Iranian government will seek no one’s permission to build missiles and upgrade the country’s defense capabilities.

Earlier today, a senior Iranian lawmaker said the United States and its allies have failed in Syria and the broader region and credited Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s leadership for defeating Iran’s “enemies” in foreign lands to safeguard the country’s national security.