Bashar al-Assad

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...

Hezbollah at War: What Comes Next for Lebanon and the Region

The Broken Promise of the Panama Papers, Ten Years On

The scandal thrust financial secrecy into the spotlight. Why is dirty money still such a big problem?

Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism

Syria Can Squeeze Hezbollah, But Caution Is Necessary

Syrian forces may be returning to Lebanon more than twenty years after Damascus withdrew its military from its smaller neighbor’s territory. Reuters reported on March 17 that the...

Lebanons’ second chance

This conflict could finally free Beirut from Hezbollah

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...

Lebanon’s failure to disarm Hezbollah keeps doing greater damage

Excerpt To end its devastating war with Israel, Lebanon pledged to disarm Hezbollah under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. After signing the Cessation of Hostilities in November 2024, Beirut...

Is the Islamic Republic Down and Out in the Levant and Beyond?

Since October 7, 2023, Iran’s theocracy has watched its entire westward foreign policy crash, disabled by an Israeli counterattack and its shockwaves.

Israel’s Goals and Challenges in the New Hezbollah War

Hezbollah’s opening of a front from Lebanon in support of Iran was not a surprise for Israel, which is again discussing the forcible dismantling of the organization. It remains unclear whether...

The Lebanese Army Goes Rogue

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), under its commander Rodolphe Haykal, has defied the state it is sworn to serve, effectively siding with Hezbollah at a moment when Lebanon teeters on the edge of the abyss. After...

I fled Iran’s terror — Trump’s courage is an answer to my prayers

The strikes President Donald Trump launched against Iran Saturday are not just military operations — they are the answer to decades of prayers by Iranians who have suffered under tyranny. And...

Prisoner Exchange Between Central Government and Druze Factions is an Opportunity To Cement Stability in Syria

After the July 2025 Syrian government offensive in the south of the country that resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 members of the Druze minority, reconciliation between Damascus and the Druze appeared...

Countering Iran’s Covert Chemical Weapons Program

The Mass Escape of ISIS Detainees Is a Warning Against U.S. Withdrawal From Syria

Serious concerns are emerging over the ability of the Syrian government to maintain security in the northeast of the country following its recent offensive against the Kurdish-led, U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic...

Did Iran Use Chemical Weapons on Protesters?

The international community should immediately investigate accusations that the Islamic Republic attacked demonstrators with weapons of mass destruction.

ISIS Reconstitutes as the U.S. Walks Away From Syria

After surviving numerous Islamic State (ISIS)-linked assassination plots, Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa — himself a former jihadi — governs with a target on his back. Moreover, ISIS is resurging...

‘We Don’t Care What Others Say’: Turkey Won’t Withdraw Its Troops From Syria

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler could not have been blunter. “We have no agenda for withdrawing or leaving those areas,” Guler told the Turkish daily Hurriyet when asked whether Turkey...

Syria Looks to Offshore Oil and Gas for Economic Renewal

Damascus’ entrance into the energy market will require it to update its dilapidated infrastructure.

Foreign Investment in Syria’s Reconstruction Carries Terror Finance Risk

Saudi Arabia and Qatar aim to reap the commercial rewards of rebuilding Syria now that the devastating civil war has ended and sanctions on Damascus have been lifted. Gulf investments are being deployed...