Levant

A major battle in The Long War 

The roots of the current Middle East conflict trace back centuries

Iranian drone and missile attacks against Israel: June 13–16, 2025

David Daoud is senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs. Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for...

As Iran Retreats, Islamist Turkey and Qatar Surge in Lebanon

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a Sunni, entered the stadium of Beirut’s Sports City to watch the classic football game between the two rival teams Nijmeh and Ansar. When the Shia supporters of...

‘No Impunity’: Israel Strikes Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Damascus

Daylight Sortie Over Syrian Capital: The Israeli Air Force struck a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) command center in Damascus on March 13. The site, located in the Dummar suburb...

10 Things to Know About Turkey’s Interventions and Influence in Syria

Turkey intends to position itself as the most influential foreign actor in Syria. Following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Turkey built close ties with jihadist militias fighting Bashar...

Disruptions and Challenges in the Middle East

Significant challenges await the Trump administration’s attention.

Good news and bad news from Lebanon as Nawaf Salam elected premier

Israel-bashing president of the International Court of Justice hardly seems the one to bring peace with neighbor

Lebanon’s Mahan Air theater was meant to cover ceasefire deal non-performance

A false narrative has emerged claiming Lebanese authorities searched an Iranian plane last week at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport over suspicion the aircraft was smuggling...

Naim Qassem on Hezbollah’s post-ceasefire posture

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered two speeches—one on November 29 and another on December 5— after the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that took effect on November 27. Most...

IDF Eliminates Hezbollah Official Overseeing Weapons Transfer From Syria to Lebanon

Israel Eliminates Senior Hezbollah Member: An Israeli airstrike in Damascus killed Salman Nemar Jamaa, a senior Hezbollah figure responsible for liaising with the Syrian army, on...

Iran reacts to Israel’s direct retaliation

Once again, in 2024, history was made in the Middle East. On October 25, Israel took credit for a long-expected military retaliation against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The attack reportedly...

How U.S. Adversaries Undermine the Perception of Election Integrity

The Story of the Next Lebanon War Starts Now

Beirut, the once-fabled “Paris of the Middle East”, has been down on its luck in recent years. The lack of attention to Lebanon’s decline is now translating into complacency about the combustible...

Hints within Nasrallah’s speech about Hezbollah’s retaliation for Beirut strike

The Levant has been on unusually high alert since a Falaq-1 missile fired by Hezbollah struck a soccer field in the community of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, killing 12 Israeli children. Israel’s...

Hezbollah’s Missiles And Growing Military Might Are A True Threat

Unpacking the Capability Behind Hezbollah’s Threat to Expand its War: Less than a day after U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein was in Beirut to again meet with Lebanese officials to press for...

US built floating pier off Gaza could be operational in ‘days’

The pier was completed last week, and USAID Response Director says that in the coming day, they expect it to be affixed to the shore, and aid can then flow.

Hezbollah’s expected Response to IRGC-QF Gen. Mohammad Zahedi’s killing

According to the Syrian Army, at 17:00 hours on April 1, Israel launched an airborne attack from over the Golan Heights, targeting a building in Damascus that it described as the Iranian consulate...

Iran Is Winning the War

Right now things look good for Israel. But the Islamic Republic is playing the long game. And its advantages, alas, are many.

Iran’s Ever-Expanding Ring of Fire

Distance does not buy security. Over 1,000 kilometers away from the Jewish State, Yemen’s Houthi rebels or Ansar Allah – the helpers of God – as they style themselves, have made good on...

Exposing Iran’s Proxy Gambit One Proxy At A Time

As Israeli ground forces expand operations in Gaza, Iran’s proxies are steadily ramping up their military involvement. At the heart of their strategy — or more aptly, Tehran’s — is the...