Riyadh

Qatar Is Powering Syria

For Syria, Qatar’s money is power. On July 31, the Qatar Fund for Development announced plans to fund a surge of natural gas deliveries to Syria. Deliveries began on August 2. The gas, which is flowing...

Choose the Druze

Syria’s endangered minorities deserve protection

‘Firm and Supportive Stance’: Saudi Arabia to Invest $6.4 Billion in Syria

Billions From Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced on July 24 new investments in Syria totaling $6.4 billion. The deal was confirmed at a conference in Damascus by Saudi Investment Minister...

The Saudi Factor

A Deal with the Houthis Is No Deal at All

Until the Houthis see the costs of their aggression, the Yemeni Islamist group will continue to threaten stability in the Red Sea.

Ahmed Al-Shara’s Foreign Jihadist Problem

The man President Donald Trump hailed as a “tough guy” who will bring stability to Syria is empowering extremists tied to Al Qaeda.

Netanyahu’s gift to Trump marks a ‘historic horizon’ for Mideast peace

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited President Donald Trump at the White House Monday, he celebrated his country’s victory over the Islamic Republic of Iran — after a brief but intense...

Israel: Now the Dominant Military Power in the Middle East?

Israel: A Regional Hegemon with Iran Defeated? In the wake of Israel’s surprise attack on Iran on June 13, it has become clear that Israel’s military is now among the strongest in the Middle East....

Where Was Xi Jinping in Iran’s Hour of Need?

Tehran expected a bulwark from Beijing. Instead it got a bystander.

Victory over Iran gives Trump the chance to reshape Mid East with trade deals

Israel’s decisive victory over Iran’s Islamist regime has set Tehran’s nuclear plans back years at the least. It has also created a unique opening to normalize ties between Jerusalem...

Why Are Gulf Countries Not Speaking Out Against Their Rival Iran?

Since 1979, Iran has been a problem for Arab Gulf capitals. Tehran has exported its radical Islamism and terrorism across the region, built loyalist militias, agitated popular opinion against Gulf governments,...

Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: June

Welcome back to the Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker. Once a month, we ask FDD’s experts and scholars to assess the administration’s foreign policy. They provide trendlines of very positive, positive, neutral, negative, or very negative for the areas they watch.

The Struggle for Syria

On May 14, President Donald Trump stood smiling with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and Syria’s self-declared leader, Ahmed al-Shara’a, on the sidelines of the President’s visit...

Delegation from eastern Syria meets with government in Damascus

A delegation from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) met with the new Syrian government in Damascus on June 1. The talks are aimed at fully integrating the autonomous eastern...

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...

Turkey and Qatar Are Buying Into Syria. The US Should Be Wary of Their Motives

With Washington’s blessing, Qatar and Turkey are cementing their role in post-Assad Syria. On May 29, Syria signed a $7 billion memorandum of understanding with the United States, Qatar, and Turkey to...

Has the Era of Extremism Ended in the Middle East?

On May 20, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke about the U.S. decision to engage with the new Syrian government in Damascus. Rubio said that an unstable Syria has historically...

Iran’s shadow looms large over the Houthi ceasefire

It’s too soon for another US “mission accomplished” in the Middle East. President Donald Trump this month announced a halt to US airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, claiming the group “capitulated” and would cease targeting American vessels and Red Sea traffic.

Trump Tells Syria to Expel Foreign Fighters, But Sharaa Gives Them Army Divisions

“Tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria,” President Donald Trump told interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh on May 14 — just after lifting all U.S. sanctions on Syria. Yet on May 18, Syria’s...

Are Trump, Democrats Too Trusting of Syria’s New Leader?

Ahmad al-Sharaa ‘is a different person than he once was,’ says Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. Yet Sharaa’s actions do not always match his words.