Syria

Syria focuses on diplomacy amid Iran war

On April 9, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al Shaibani traveled to Turkey, where he met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. It was Damascus’s second meeting with...

Iraq’s Emboldened Terror Groups

Shelly Kittleson, an American journalist, was kidnapped off the streets of Baghdad on March 31 and is now a bargaining chip for the militia that took her. It’s a tragedy on replay....

Hezbollah Emerged from Iran’s Revolution, Not “Resistance” to Israel

A false claim, now common in Western media and academia, portrays Hezbollah as having emerged in response to Israel’s 1982 invasion and subsequent occupation of Lebanon. In reality, Hezbollah arose in...

Turkey the new Iran? Ankara’s growing challenge to Western interests

Turkey’s growing regional influence and ties to Hamas challenge NATO and US security.

Israeli goals in Lebanon war shift from imminently disarming Hezbollah to reestablishing South Lebanon Security Zone

The renewed Lebanon war between Israel and Hezbollah that began on March 2 is now over a month old, with little change in the overall picture or disposition of the main actors. However, Israeli officials...

The Broken Promise of the Panama Papers, Ten Years On

The scandal thrust financial secrecy into the spotlight. Why is dirty money still such a big problem?

Iran and proxies fire fewer total projectiles, increase accuracy in attacks on region (March 28–April 1 updates)

Iran and its allied militias continued launching drones, missiles, and rockets against regional countries between March 28 and April 1. There were nearly 90 incidents in this period, including distinct...

Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism

Israel kills Al Manar employee Ali Shuaib, says he was a Hezbollah military operative

On the morning of Saturday, March 28, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted a press-marked vehicle on the Jezzine-Kfarhouna road in south Lebanon. The strike killed Ali Shuaib, an employee of the...

Questions about Israel’s wars — and how to answer them

In the spirit of the Passover Seder, here is a guide for helping others to understand how — and why — Israel is facing down its enemies in the Middle East

6 Kurdistan Regional Government soldiers killed in Iranian attack on northern Iraq

On March 24, six members of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Peshmerga forces were killed in an attack in northern Iraq. According to the local Rudaw Media Network, they were killed when...

Iran’s Iraqi Militias Are Coming for US Troops

The United States must act to punish and, by extension, deter militia attacks on US bases in Iraq.

Turkey’s Mission to Put an End to the Iran War

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan did not mince words as he toured the Middle East as the war in the region escalated: “It should be especially noted that the primary responsible party...

Iran and proxies continue attacking regional airports, energy facilities, military bases, and residential areas (March 20-23 updates)

Between March 20 and March 23, Iran and its allied militias continued launching drones, missiles, and rockets against Arab countries. The attacks targeted energy infrastructure, airports, military bases,...

Israel eliminates 3 Hamas members operating in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on March 22 that it killed Walid Muhammad Dib, a Hamas financial official, in Lebanon. Two other Hamas operatives in Lebanon were killed by the IDF over the past...

Will Trump Finish the Job in Iran?

The Islamic Republic has been severely degraded, but it will continue to pose a threat to the Gulf.

Syria Can Squeeze Hezbollah, But Caution Is Necessary

Syrian forces may be returning to Lebanon more than twenty years after Damascus withdrew its military from its smaller neighbor’s territory. Reuters reported on March 17 that the...

Lebanons’ second chance

This conflict could finally free Beirut from Hezbollah

What Are Turkey’s Red Lines in the Iran Conflict?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is reluctant to get involved in the Iran War, fearing it would hurt his party’s chances in the next election.

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...