Deir ez-Zor

Are Kurds under threat amid civil war resurgence in Syria?

Many wheels are in motion in Syria, which could leave Kurds and other minorities exposed.

Iranian militias in Iraq could take center stage against Israel

Other groups, such as Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, are closely aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and have carried out attacks on US troops in Iraq and Jordan.

Iran increases its attacks in Syria, Iraq against US forces

Iran’s escalation comes as it senses the US is focused on domestic political issues.

Iranian-backed groups in Syria may use roadside bombs – report

According to an assessment in the pro-Iran Al-Mayadeen media, these attacks are not having the level of impact that Iran may have expected.

The Iranian proxy war in Syria against the US, Israel grows

More than 40 attacks on US forces by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.

Iranian-Backed Militias in Iraq and Syria Continue Attacks on U.S. Troops

An Iran-backed Shiite militia attacked U.S. forces at a base in southeastern Syria on October 23 as similar attacks across Iraq and Syria have increased in the past two weeks. The...

Shiite Terrorist Groups in Syria Attack U.S. Forces

Iran-backed Shiite militias attacked U.S. forces in eastern Syria with armed drones on October 18. The assault follows drone attacks on two coalition bases the day before. The Associated...

Iran-backed Militias Target U.S. Troops in Eastern Syria

U.S. officials blame Iran-backed groups for targeting a facility housing U.S. military personnel near Hasakah in northeast Syria on Thursday. The attack killed one American contractor and wounded several...

Arsenal

Assessing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program

Russia’s Putin looks to import Syrian mercenaries to do the ‘dirty tricks’ against Ukraine’s population

Putin launches recruitment operation of Syrian armed forces

Authoritarian countries will try to use coronavirus vaccines as an internal cudgel

The world will have to work to keep distribution of scarce lifesaving resources equitable

America’s Small but Effective Presence in Syria

COVID-19 in Regime-Held Syria

The regime of Bashar al-Assad continues to report implausibly low numbers of COVID-19 cases, while evidence mounts of deliberate deception. The presence of tens of thousands of Iranian-backed militia fighters...

Iran vs. Trump: Suleimani’s Legacy, and Khamenei’s Ambitions

The supreme leader and Trump may well end the long-running, region-defining clash. We just don't know yet quite how.

The Syrian Front

Discussing America’s stake in the Middle East has increasingly become a shell game where our “interests” can quickly disappear depending on the changing sentiments of the president.   The trajectory...

The ultimate Middle East missile target: Nuclear reactors

What if a nuclear reactor had been the target of last month’s accurate missile attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities? We might now be mopping up a Middle East Chernobyl. The lesson should be clear: Don’t...

U.S. announces rewards for 3 Islamic State leaders

On Aug. 21, the US State Department Rewards for Justice Program announced rewards of up to $5 million each for three wanted Islamic State (ISIS) leaders: Sami Jasim Muhammad al-Jaburi, Amir Muhammad...

Islamic State wages desert-based insurgency in Iraq and Syria

The Islamic State is far from dead in Iraq and Syria. Despite losing its physical caliphate, the group maintained enough manpower and resources to continue waging an insurgency in both countries. And America’s...

Burning Bridge: The Iranian Land Corridor to the Mediterranean