Hafez al-Assad

Hezbollah’s Shadow Economy in Post-Assad Syria

Lebanon’s Pretend Peace with Israel Revives Arafat’s Playbook

What is the point of strengthening the LAF if internal dialogue is the only tool Beirut intends to use to restore state sovereignty?

Syria Is Off the Terror List, but Washington Still Has Leverage

US President Donald Trump has fulfilled the promise he made to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in May 2025, to give Syrians “a chance at greatness.” At the end of August of this year, Trump...

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,...

Syria’s leader charms the world, crushes the Druze. Israel should be wary

Sharaa seems to be a pragmatic diplomat, but before pursuing warmer ties, Jerusalem needs guarantees that he will stop repressing his minority citizens

Washington Is Starting to Treat Syria and Iraq as One Policy

In recent weeks, Syria and Iraq have positioned themselves to be key players in a new Middle Eastern order. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi was in Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump...

US moves to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism

US President Donald Trump “informed Congress of his administration’s intent to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST),” the US State Department announced on...

Hezbollah’s Lebanese Allies Are Ready to Dump It

Speaker Nabih Berri and Druze chief Walid Jumblatt have so far sided with Hezbollah by denouncing the June 26 Trilateral Framework between Lebanon, Israel, and the U.S.

Israel’s Offer to Lebanon: Land for Hezbollah’s Disarmament

The interests of Lebanon and Israel align on the core issue of disarming Hezbollah.

Syria Need Not Enter Lebanon to Help Curb Hezbollah

Syria is not going to undertake a military campaign against Hezbollah that Israel itself has been unable to carry out.

Trading Away Lebanon: Washington’s Bargains at Beirut’s Expense

For the fifth time since 1958, the U.S. has placed Lebanon on the bargaining table, this time ready to sacrifice the country’s interests in pursuit of a deal with Iran.

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...

When Aoun Meets Netanyahu

Lebanese President Michel Aoun is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in the coming weeks, according to President Trump, who said he would invite both leaders....

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 Must Answer the Pope’s Call for Peace

Lebanon, and the world, must heed the Pope of Peace over the so-called “Party of God,” Hezbollah. From the heart of Lebanon—a biblical land living under Hezbollah’s shadow—Pope Leo XIV issued...

Aoun’s Push for Talks with Israel Must Overcome Hezbollah’s Ploys

Hezbollah and Berri likely hope to use talks to get the US and Israel off their backs and keep Hezbollah armed.

Assad Is Gone. The Syrian Problem Persists

Nine months after Bashar al-Assad’s fall and Ahmad al-Sharaa’s rise to power, the UN Security Council met to address Syria’s ongoing crisis. The Council urged Damascus to establish a government “of...

Erdoğan’s Long Game in Syria

When Bashar al-Asad’s regime abruptly collapsed in December 2024, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saw more than just a regional upheaval. He saw a long-awaited opportunity.  With Iran’s...

Why No States for the Druze or the Kurds?

Self-determination in the Middle East is inconsistent. For Muslim Palestinians, statehood is seen as an unfulfilled destiny. Yet for religious minorities like the Druze or ethnic groups like the Kurds,...

Israel and Syria Should Prioritize Security Cooperation

Pushing too hard for a peace deal could come at the expense of more pragmatic action against shared threats.