Middle Orient

Key Takeaways Iranian officials continue to frame control over the Strait of Hormuz as a key strategic interest and a critical component of long-term Iranian deterrence. Iran likely views control over the strait as essential to restoring deterrence against the United States and Israel following the degradation of its other …

Leaked meeting minutes show Russia’s deputy defense minister leaning on Syria to pay a $37-million bill for keeping oil flowing. Months after that meeting, the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell to a rebel coalition. Syria’s new government has continued to negotiate with Russia over its total debt of at least …

Far from weakening the IRGC, the war has entrenched its power, pushing Iran towards a military-run state with clerical cover In its war against Iran, the US and Israel have heavily targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), striking its command structure, intelligence networks, air and naval assets, as well …

Recent missile and air strikes on the UAE during a period of ceasefire, unlike other countries, have undermined confidence in the “safe haven” model. The United Arab Emirates, in general, and Dubai in particular, are facing a critical test of their international image as an economic oasis of stability in …

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Expecting Hamas to disarm voluntarily is like expecting ISIS or Al-Qaeda to renounce jihad (holy war) and become peaceful political movements. [D]espite these repeated rejections, the “Board of Peace” continues its embarrassing efforts to negotiate with Hamas over the surrender of its weapons. The entire spectacle has become surreal. Instead …

My latest piece for the online magazine ‘Syria in Transition’ is reprinted below. Based on visits to the Sayyida Zaynab shrine in the Damascus area, the piece examines what the shrine’s status tells us about the general situation of Syria’s Twelver Shia minority. The last banner of ZaynabSyria’s Shia find …

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The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute are publishing daily updates to provide analysis on the war with Iran. The updates focus on US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran and the Axis of Resistance’s response to …

Britain’s national media fails to recognise the influence – and even the existence – of an Israel lobby, our new media analysis shows. Declassified researched two years of reporting by seven British media outlets and found only 16 mentions of the phrase Israel lobby without speech marks. Nearly all those …