Al-Monitor

Russian troops begin evacuating from northern Syria

Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa made his second visit to Moscow in four months on January 28, even as Russia is withdrawing its forces from the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria. Moscow...

Iranian-backed Iraqi militias in spotlight after Secretary of State Rubio’s call with Prime Minister Sudani

Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al Sudani “urged the United States to avoid unilateral decisions in Iraq, insisting that all actions impacting bilateral ties must go through formal diplomatic channels,”...

Iran launches missile attack on US base in Qatar

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted a missile attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military facility in the Middle East and the forward headquarters...

Syrian government, SDF, and other factions move to end tensions over strategic dam

The transitional Syrian government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reached an agreement regarding the handover of the strategic Tishrin Dam from SDF’s control to Damascus’s control....

Blinken Departs Middle East Without Ceasefire Deal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken departed from the Middle East empty-handed on August 20, having failed to secure an agreement after Hamas rejected the latest iteration of...

Enough is enough: NATO must suspend cooperation with Turkey

Under the brutally authoritarian rule of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, its diehard Islamist president, it has stood out as the alliance’s greatest liability.

Amid Rift With Erdogan, Turkish Parliament Extends New Invitation to PA Leader Mahmoud Abbas

Days after Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas sparked the ire of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by turning down an invitation to address the Turkish parliament,...

Israel’s Rafah operation met with US warning of munitions pause

President Biden upped his sharp rhetoric against Israel widening its operation in Rafah on May 8. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into...

Israel SitRep: Nov. 2, 2023

“The second war against the Jews,” Clifford D. May, The Washington Times “Nasrallah’s Big Speech,” Jonathan Schanzer, Commentary “Biden Administration...

How Congress Should Respond to an Interim Iran Deal

The United States and Saudi Arabia: A Possible Path Forward

Biden is quietly encouraging Assad’s rehabilitation. He should reverse course.

In the first weeks of Joe Biden’s presidency, Secretary of State Antony Blinken committed to “putting human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy.” Before taking office, Blinken...

Turkey After Erdogan

The Underside of the Coin: Illicit Finance Risks in Virtual Assets

Strategy for a New Comprehensive U.S. Policy on Iran

Neither Here Nor There

Jordan and the Abraham Accords

The Dangers of Iran’s Cyber Ambitions

Another Iran Deal? Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Engines of Influence

Turkey’s Defense Industry Under Erdogan

Turkey a Step Closer to Suspension From the Council of Europe

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted an interim resolution on Wednesday officially launching infringement proceedings against Turkey for Ankara’s refusal to release Turkish philanthropist...