The group’s choice of targets is a clear sign of its intention to inflame Sunni/Alawite tensions, raise the price of Moscow’s intervention, and assert its symbolic leadership over the rebellion. On May 23, the Islamic State (IS) perpetrated suicide bombings in Tartus and Jableh, killing 154 people and wounding more than 300. This was the… Keep reading →
Funeral notices indicate that Iran has increased its use of IRGC Ground Forces in Syria to offset mounting losses by the elite Qods Force, and this pattern could signal a wider transformation in how the IRGC operates abroad. On May 6, at least sixteen Iranian nationals and an undisclosed number of Shiite foreign fighters under… Keep reading →
Four eminent scholars and policy practitioners debate the president’s worldview and how it will shape American interests and options in the next administration. On March 12, Derek Chollet, Ellen Laipson, Michael Doran, and Michael Mandelbaum addressed a Washington Institute Policy Forum inspired by the controversial Atlantic cover story “The Obama Doctrine.” Chollet is the counselor… Keep reading →
While Washington and its coalition partners have begun to roll back some of the Islamic State’s territorial gains, what more can be done to defeat the group and, until then, protect civilians? On April 5, Matthew Levitt, Naomi Kikoler, and James Jeffrey addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Kikoler is the deputy director… Keep reading →
A new court decision could stunt exploitation of offshore gas reserves, open the possibility of a heavy punitive arbitration award, and hamper foreign investment in Israel. On March 27, the Israeli High Court passed a judgement condemning a key aspect of the government’s planned “framework” deal with energy companies hoping to tap the country’s largest… Keep reading →
The Supreme Leader used his Nowruz address to launch a strong attack on the United States and make Rouhani the scapegoat for continued American pressure, which augurs poorly for U.S.-Iranian cooperation. In his twenty-sixth Nowruz speech in Mashhad, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated his radical anti-American position and implicitly criticized Iran’s nuclear negotiating team for violating… Keep reading →
When Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu cancelled his planned visit to Washington recently, many speculated that he was protesting the continued lack of agreement on the amount of U.S. military aid to be embodied in a new ten-year memorandum of understanding (MOU). Vice President Joe Biden, who enjoys a close friendship with Netanyahu, visited Israel… Keep reading →
If Moscow can get away with boldly flouting U.S. interests in a key American security zone such as the Middle East, where might it interfere next, and at what cost to the international security system? As Secretary of State John Kerry visits Germany for the 52nd Munich Security Conference this week, questions about Washington’s hesitant… Keep reading →
Reversing the political, military, and ideological factors that led to the movement’s rise will require substantive projects that are as self-sustaining and nimble as IS has proven to be. The Islamic State brand is an ambitious and seductive vision that has proven to be a tremendous media success. Yet this vision is ultimately tethered to… Keep reading →
The end of diplomatic relations between the Persian Gulf’s two major powers following the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr and forty-six others on terrorist charges lead to a fall in oil prices on Monday. Analysts had expected prices to increase as OPEC became embroiled in a sharp division between two of its… Keep reading →
