Suddenly and seemingly without warning, Russian forces amassed in Crimea and near the Ukrainian border in April 2021. Heavy armor, long-range missiles and artillery, modern air forces, and elite airborne infantry units deployed into positions that raised alarm in Ukraine and throughout Europe. The situation today appears stable, but reports …

Introduction At the dawn of the Biden era of American foreign policy, a more mature, realistic Saudi foreign policy is emerging to match the shifting signals from Washington. In some measure, the Saudis are readopting elements that traditionally characterized their policy preferences before the meteoric rise of Crown Prince Mohammed …

Some jihadist groups facing pressure from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria are eying Afghanistan as a new haven after the Taliban took control. Jihadi factions in Syria are hailing the Taliban’s takeover of most of Afghanistan. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, congratulated the Taliban …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara hasn’t decided whether to provide the Taliban with technical assistance at Kabul’s international airport. Turkey hasn’t made a decision on whether to help the Taliban operate Kabul’s international airport, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday following talks in the Afghan capital between …

A series of Turkish drone strikes targeting senior Kurdish figures in northeast Syria appears to be the prelude of an attrition strategy to further restrict the main Syrian Kurdish group in the region and hamper its autonomy project. Breaking a long lull in its military campaign against Kurdish forces in …

The potential that foreign fighters may move from Syria’s Idlib province to Afghanistan could pose major threats to Russia and its Central Asian allies. The situation in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, escalated sharply Thursday after a suicide attack by militants from the local affiliate of the Islamic State killed over 100 …

Russia is trying to salvage the settlement agreement it sponsored in southern Syria, but the situation in Daraa keeps worsening, according to Asharq al-Awsat. Efforts intensified on Wednesday to save the “Russian roadmap” after the failure to implement an agreement reached by the Central Negotiating Committee in Daraa al-Balad with …

Anonymous sources in Damascus confirmed to the Nedaa Post website that the office of the Supreme Leader’s representative in Damascus is following efforts to win the loyalty of Arab clans “with great interest.” These efforts are taken place especially in parts of eastern and northeastern Syria. Nedaa Post verified information …

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham forced locals in Idleb to celebrate the victory of the Taliban in Afghanistan, sparking the anger of citizens, according to al-Watan. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) adopted the “victory” for the Taliban movement in its control of Afghanistan, by continuing celebrations in support of al-Fateh al-Mubeen and issuing …

Iran is extending its influence in Aleppo, by building an ‘Iranian belt’ in the city similar to Beirut’s southern suburb, according to Nedaa Post. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Council (IRGC), through its direct subsidiaries, is working on a project to rehabilitate administrative areas in eastern Aleppo neighborhoods. The objective of …