Syria’s Break With Russia Must Go Beyond Oil
Syria’s current leaders and Russia once stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. Yet since the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow’s longtime ally during the Syrian civil...
Syria
Iraq pressured by regional countries to rein in Iran-backed militias as new data on extent of attacks released
Iraq finds itself under growing pressure from regional countries and the US to rein in Iranian-backed Iraqi militias. The latest pressure from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan comes as Ahmad...
Op-eds
When Paris Celebrates the Bankruptcy of Human Rights
On Monday, July 27, at the United Nations Security Council, American diplomats stood up and walked out as the French ambassador began to speak. Ukraine was the item on the agenda that day. In Moscow and...
Op-eds
Suspect in deadly Berlin Pride attack pledged allegiance to Islamic State, prosecutors say
On July 25, 2026, Abdul Rahman Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese descent who had recently been released from prison after being convicted of attempting to join the Islamic State, allegedly...
Op-eds
Erdogan’s rivalry with Israel has a new front: Africa
The answer becomes clearer once the South African relationship is placed inside Turkey’s broader African buildup, which has been running for two decades and has little to do with Israel at all.
Op-eds
The UN’s new blood libel: How genocide accusations echo centuries-old antisemitism
Excerpt In early 1991, at a session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, the Syrian delegate, Nabila Shaalan, delivered a blistering attack upon Israel during which...
Op-eds
Countering Hezbollah Could Bring Syria and Israel Closer
“Syria is seeking a security agreement with Israel,” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in an interview with the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera on July 26. A successful agreement, he added, could...
Policy Briefs
Turkey’s Cautious Bid for Regional Power
The difference in how Turkey treats Greece and Israel illustrates its diplomatic and military strategy.
Op-eds
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,...
Op-eds
Hezbollah’s Financing Strategies: Recovering From War With Israel
Iran has spent more than four decades building Hezbollah into a force capable of making war against Israel in hopes of one day destroying the Jewish state. Israeli forces have inflicted tremendous damage on Hezbollah’s leadership, arsenal, and manpower, yet the terror group is rebuilding, thanks in no small part to its globe-spanning illicit finance network. To shed greater light on this crucial subject, FDD has invited Israeli expert Dr. Iftah Burman to provide a robust overview of the transnational web of enterprises, stretching across the Middle East — and from Latin America to West Africa and into cyberspace — that sustains Hezbollah’s aggression. This work provides information essential to intelligence and law enforcement agencies in every country, including the United States, that recognizes the severity of Hezbollah’s threat to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East.
Memos
Iran renews attacks on Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in Iraq
Iran increased attacks on the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq in mid-July as the US continued to carry out renewed airstrikes on Iran. By July 2, the US had conducted 10...
Op-eds
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
Op-eds
Why Lebanon’s Pilot Zones Matter at the Trump-Aoun Summit
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s meeting this week with U.S. President Donald Trump offers Washington an important opportunity to press Beirut to implement pilot zones in southern Lebanon designed...
Op-eds
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...
Op-eds
Iran’s Fortitude Is Its Decisive Edge
The ayatollahs want to fight and have a greater tolerance than Trump for pain.
Op-eds
Suwayda’s Struggle
Syria’s Druze are trapped between Israeli protection and Damascus’s rule.
Op-eds
As the Shia Crescent Wanes, Aoun Stakes Lebanon’s Future on Washington
As Iran’s once-expanding “Shia Crescent” of influence across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen wanes, a new American-led regional order is emerging. Ahead of his first visit to the White House, Lebanese...
Op-eds
The Illusion of Representation in Syria’s New Parliament
Outside Syria’s parliament building in Damascus, lawmakers filed past the stone façade for the chamber’s first session since Bashar al-Assad’s fall. Inside, the freshly minted lawmakers stood to...
Op-eds
Iraq sanctions individuals and entities tied to Lebanese Hezbollah
On July 15, Iraq’s Ministry of Finance circulated a banking directive instructing ministries, state entities, and financial institutions to implement recent US Treasury Department sanctions...
Op-eds
Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi meets President Trump, Secretary Hegseth in Washington
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met with US President Donald Trump on July 14 as part of his multi-day trip to Washington. It is Zaidi’s first trip to the United States after being sworn...