Turkey’s Cautious Bid for Regional Power
The difference in how Turkey treats Greece and Israel illustrates its diplomatic and military strategy.
Aleppo
Syria focuses on energy deals, works to revive infrastructure and institutions
Syria is positioning itself as an alternative route for oil exports from Iraq amid the Iran conflict and its disruption of oil exports via the Strait of Hormuz. On July 17 in Washington, DC,...
Op-eds
Lebanon Seeks Turkey’s Help To Avoid Acting Against Hezbollah
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asserted a strong interest in his neighbors’ affairs last month, declaring that, “Turkey’s security does not begin in Hatay [in southern Turkey], but rather...
Policy Briefs
Why Iran Sanctions Relief Wouldn’t Have Stopped Iran
As the United States and Iran trade blows again, it’s important to remember that sanctions relief would have only allowed the Islamic Republic to finance its war machine.
Op-eds
Syria appoints new parliament as Israel tensions continue
On July 1, Syria’s government said that the country’s Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections had announced the final list of names for the country’s new parliament. The...
Op-eds
US kills Islamic State senior leader in Syria, Damascus rejects Lebanon intervention
On June 19, US Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out an airstrike targeting a senior leader of the Islamic State in Syria as the US maintains its decade-long campaign against the jihadist...
Op-eds
Turkey’s Hejaz Railway Revival Is a Bid To Undermine Israel’s Regional Role
A railway originally built by the Ottoman Empire to project power across the Arab world is receiving a second lease on life as Turkey launches its latest bid to become the Middle East’s logistics...
Policy Briefs
Europe is writing itself out of the Middle East
The case for suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement on grounds of human rights is a powerful argument – as long as one doesn't look at what else Europe is doing in the region
Op-eds
Syria reports neutralizing Hezbollah plot to assassinate senior officials
On May 5, the Syrian Ministry of Interior and the General Intelligence Directorate announced that security forces thwarted a major terrorist attack aiming to destabilize the country. In a series...
Op-eds
Blacklisting the Brotherhood
The Trump administration made history on November 24, 2025, when it issued an executive order calling for the U.S. government to designate “certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters as Foreign Terrorist...
Op-eds
A Month of Crisis in Syria and Its Regional Ramifications
Syria has experienced another dramatic transformation. After a month of clashes that began in Aleppo and spread to eastern Syria, Damascus announced on January 30 that it had reached an agreement with...
Op-eds
Fighting intensifies between Damascus and Syrian Democratic Forces as diplomatic talks resume
Despite a US-mediated ceasefire, clashes continued between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria. On January 29, Syrian military drones carried...
Op-eds
Over the Barrel of a Gun: Syria’s Deal With the SDF
“Our Kurdish people, descendants of Saladin, beware of believing claims that we seek harm against you,” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in a televised address on January 16 to Syria’s...
Op-eds
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces withdraw from Aleppo province after clashes with Syrian government
In the wake of intense fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi ordered the withdrawal of his personnel from contested areas...
Op-eds
Damascus Poised To Attack Kurdish-Held Towns in Northern Syria
Syrian Troops Ready Offensive on Kurdish-Held Areas: Syrian government troops are preparing to launch an offensive against Kurdish-held towns in the north and east of the country...
Flash Briefs
Syria Risks a New War as Damascus Moves Against the Kurdish-Led SDF
War looms amid intensifying clashes between government troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the country’s second-largest city, Aleppo. On January 7, Syrian army units encircled...
Policy Briefs
Syrian army besieges Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo following clashes
Units of the Syrian army have surrounded the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh in Aleppo, marking the latest escalation after a series of clashes between Syrian...
Op-eds
A Deal to Help Bring Syria Together Nears Collapse
In just a little more than a week, Syria could return to the civil strife its people suffered under for 13 years. A March deal to unify the militaries of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Kurdish-led Syrian...
Policy Briefs
Syrian Government and Kurdish-Led SDF Agree to De-escalation of Violence Following Aleppo Clashes
Latest Developments Aleppo Fighting Leads to Casualties: Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on December 22 to reduce tensions after at least two civilians...
Flash Briefs
Turkey Puts Fragile Deal Between Damascus and Kurdish Forces at Greater Risk
If the agreement collapses, violence may be imminent. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have spent months negotiating with the government in Damascus how to implement their March agreement...