Bashar al-Assad

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

Syria’s Accommodation of Foreign Jihadists Backfires

The Syrian government’s effort to integrate foreign fighters into its armed forces may be unraveling. On May 5, Syrian authorities arrested 16 Uzbek fighters following a standoff with armed members...

Israeli forces face challenges as Hezbollah ramps up use of FPV drones

Hezbollah’s Al Ahed newspaper stated on April 29 that the group had “amassed a massive arsenal of” precision diving/attack drones, which it said had been modified “during the...

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...

Jordanian Warplanes Strike Drug Traffickers in Southern Syria, Where Damascus Exerts Little Control

In an operation codenamed “Jordanian Deterrence,” Amman’s fighter jets carried out strikes on at least five separate locations in the Syrian governorate of Suwayda on May 2, targeting “sites belonging...

Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly get new commander

Colonel-General Aleksandr Chaiko has been appointed commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces (VKS), according to Russian media reports on May 4. If true, Chaiko is a rather unusual choice, given his army...

Lebanon Must Reform its Army or Lose American Aid

Washington is working on establishing a system “where vetted units within the Lebanese Armed Forces [LAF] have the training, the equipment, and the capability to go after elements of Hezbollah and dismantle...

Syria’s First Trial of Assad-Era Figure Signals Progress, but Accountability Still Falls Short

The first public trial of officials associated with former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime opened in Damascus on April 26. The defendant is Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and former head of the intelligence...

Israel and Syria’s Shared Fight Against Hezbollah

Washington should help the two estranged neighbors cooperate against a common enemy.

Think we’re losing the war in Iran? Consider where things really stand

From nuclear setbacks to proxy collapse, the Islamic Republic faces its most severe strategic crisis in 47 years

America’s Ambassador to Turkey Is Undermining U.S. Interests

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack raised eyebrows last weekend at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum when he stated, “Turkey is not a country to be messed with,” –– a remark intended to blame Israel...

Sharaa’s Gulf Tour Is All About the Economy

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited three Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — over two days beginning on April 21. The Syrian presidency described the trip in broad...

Syria thwarts Hezbollah plot, vows at UN to fight terrorist groups

The Syrian Interior Ministry and General Intelligence Service thwarted a plot by a Hezbollah cell, Syrian state media reported on April 19. Four days later, Syria’s permanent representative...

Iran’s Support for Russia and Lessons Learned from Ukraine

Syria’s Crackdown on Hezbollah Opens a Door to Cooperation With Israel

Syria has long functioned as Hezbollah’s strategic depth — a corridor for the group’s weapons and a launchpad for attacks against Israel, with Hezbollah embedding networks there during the rule of...

Turkey-Israel tensions deepen amid Erdogan’s confrontational policy

Ankara’s anti-Israel campaign under Erdogan signals a deeper strategic confrontation and rising Middle East tensions.

How Sudan Became a Killing Field

On the third anniversary of Sudan’s war, the bloody fight is turning into the scene for proxy fights between the likes of Iran, Russia, and other global bad actors.

Crude new world: Oil markets will never be the same – regardless of how the war in Iran ends

Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a worthy goal in and of itself. But President Trump’s campaign against the Iranian regime carries far broader implications — many of them...

Plot to Kill Damascus Rabbi Highlights Hezbollah’s Goal To Destabilize Syria

During former dictator Bashar al-Assad’s rule, Hezbollah used Syria as a launchpad for weapons smuggling into Lebanon. Today, even after the fall of Assad’s regime, the group is still working to destabilize...

Syria focuses on diplomacy amid Iran war

On April 9, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al Shaibani traveled to Turkey, where he met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. It was Damascus’s second meeting with...