Can Syria Be Friends with Both Europe and Russia?
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to open up relations with Europe while retaining the country’s longstanding ties with Moscow.
Middle East
Iran conducts new attacks on Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq
Iran carried out a new attack on a Kurdish Iranian opposition group in northern Iraq on the evening of May 25, one of several over the past weeks that Kurdish groups have blamed on Iran. Despite...
Op-eds
Iran’s New ‘Nuclear’ Weapon
What happens if the U.S. declines to fight for the Strait of Hormuz.
Op-eds
Evaluating the Damage to Iran’s Ballistic Missile Arsenal
Has the Islamic Republic of Iran been defanged, or did the United States and Israel fail to set back the Middle East’s preeminent ballistic missile power? The answer is more complex than headlines indicate. With...
Insights
Saudi Arabia’s Voodoo Diplomacy Is Sabotaging Middle East Peace
While Iran has strangled Kuwait and Qatar’s ability to export energy and fund repairs for costly damage inflicted by Iranian attacks, Saudi Arabia has done nothing to challenge Tehran. Instead, Riyadh—the...
Op-eds
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ‘Decapitation Strike’ on Turkey’s Opposition Party
Now seeking a fourth term in office, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is moving quickly to disarm the Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Op-eds
Amid security threats, Syria attempts to cement stability, international ties
On May 19, a car bomb exploded near a Ministry of Defense building in central Damascus’s Bab Sharqi area. One Syrian soldier was killed, and 23 civilians were wounded, the official Syrian Arab...
Op-eds
Why the EU Should Sanction Russia’s Patriarch
The Russian Orthodox Church’s sanctification of Russia’s war on Ukraine has met with little retort from Europe.
Op-eds
Why the United States Should Pay More Attention to the War in Mali
The ongoing civil war in Mali—where a jihadist group is poised to seize power—is spilling over into Nigeria, with ominous humanitarian consequences.
Op-eds
Saudi Arabia and UAE say drone attacks were launched from Iraq
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said that recent drone attacks against their countries originated from Iraq. “The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday that six drones had been launched...
Op-eds
Netanyahu pushes for US military aid drawdown
Amid unresolved conflicts with Iran and Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to promote a plan to move his country away from American military aid. Speaking to 60 Minutes on...
Op-eds
Is a ‘New Middle East’ Still Possible?
With a weakened Iranian regime, middle powers on the edge of the Middle East will increasingly drive regional dynamics.
Op-eds
Turkey’s Missile Ambitions Should Alarm Europe and the United States
For years, European officials viewed Turkey’s growing defense industry as an important asset. Turkish drones proved effective in conflicts from Libya to Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine. Ankara...
Op-eds
Hezbollah Is Using FPV Drones Attached to Fiber Optic Cables That Are Impossible to Jam to Attack Israeli Soldiers
The Israeli Air Force struck a Hezbollah drone launch position in Lebanon on May 9. Hezbollah is using First Person View (FPV) drones attached to fiber optic cables to attack Israeli soldiers. Fiber-optic...
Op-eds
Can the NPT Survive Amid Global Disorder?
The 2026 NPT Review Conference is unfolding against a backdrop of geopolitical upheaval. Absent strong U.S. leadership inside and outside the conference, even modest success appears remote.
Op-eds
Hamas commander Izz al Din al Haddad targeted in Israeli airstrike
Izz al Din al Haddad. (Khaled Safi on X) Israeli military aircraft attacked an apartment building in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood on Friday, targeting Hamas’s military chief, Izz al Din al...
Op-eds
Trump and Xi talk Strait past each other at summit
Trump and Xi met face-to-face, but their minds are worlds apart. Both sides described this week’s summit as constructive and there were no major surprises, but based on initial readouts, the two leaders...
Op-eds
Iran-Backed Houthis Assist Resurgent Somali Pirates
The western section of the Indian Ocean, with its key trade routes and its maritime chokepoints, has faced no shortage of crises between disruptions caused by the Houthis in Yemen and their backers in...
Policy Briefs
Israel trains new civilian security squads for 67 Gaza border communities
In early May, in the Nir Oz community on the Gaza border, members of a new civilian volunteer security team completed their second of eight training sessions conducted as part of a new program. Magen 48,...
Op-eds
The underground financial system keeping Iran afloat amid war, sanctions
A man walks into a Dubai currency exchange, intending to send money to Iran. He hands over $50,000 in cash, and provides a name and a location. Hours later, the money reaches a...