Various players have been rushing to secure their spot in former Islamic State strongholds that will be strategically important to the next phase of the war. Note: Click on map for high-resolution version. The May 18 U.S. airstrike on pro-regime forces heading for Syria’s southern al-Tanf border crossing marks a turning point in the war.… Keep reading →
The Israeli prime minister has taken pains to accommodate the U.S. president, overlooking some potentially troublesome developments, but many questions remain on how the parties will convert a graceful reception into tangible progress. On May 22, President Donald Trump will arrive in Israel for the second leg of his overseas trip, following his stay in… Keep reading →
Royal rivalries, oil uncertainties, and premature optimism about reform initiatives could jeopardize the kingdom’s hopes for transformative economic change. On April 25, 2016, Saudi Arabia announced Vision 2030, an ambitious economic plan intended to confirm the kingdom’s status as “the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds, the investment power house, and the hub connecting… Keep reading →
The regime’s latest atrocity was spurred by clear military motivations, and the situation will likely worsen as the army begins a wider ground campaign against rebel strongholds in Idlib province. In claiming that the Syrian army was not responsible for the April 4 chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun, Russia has argued that the Assad regime… Keep reading →
Assad’s track record indicates that he will likely continue challenging the chemical redline, and that additional strikes and other pressures may be necessary to deter him from doing so. In the early morning hours of April 7, the United States launched fifty-nine Tomahawk cruise missiles from two destroyers in the Eastern Mediterranean against al-Shayrat Air… Keep reading →
At a time when Russia is firmly in the Syrian driver’s seat and Assad shows no sign of going away, brokering a deal to establish a humanitarian buffer area would be one way to address Washington and Amman’s pressing concerns about ongoing refugee flows. In recent weeks, fighting has intensified in southern Syria as Russian… Keep reading →
As the Trump administration prepares to revise its controversial entry restrictions, a sampling of quotes from officials around the region indicates that certain provisions will be a hard sell abroad. President Trump’s January 27 executive order on “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” drew much ire at home and around… Keep reading →
The circumstances of the Russian-sponsored peace conference raise several concerns, but failure to participate could signal acquiescence to Moscow’s plans in Syria and further U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East. On January 23, Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, will host a conference on Syria sponsored by Russia, Iran, and Turkey. The meeting’s timing, locale, invite… Keep reading →
Recent statements out of Washington and Riyadh have inadvertently widened the differences between the two allies, hindering the incoming U.S. administration’s options for resolving the Yemen conflict. On December 13, U.S. officials announced that the sale of about 16,000 guided munition kits to Saudi Arabia would be blocked due to concerns that the kingdom’s poorly… Keep reading →
As part of its renewed effort to export the Islamic Revolution through armed proxies, Tehran has been recruiting and training Afghan and Pakistani fighters for Syria’s battlefields, thereby giving them invaluable experience for potential future campaigns in other regional countries. Iran has a long history of building up militant ethnic groups across the Middle East… Keep reading →
