US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to find a common position on the issue of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that will allow Russia to bypass Ukraine during a meeting of the two leaders on July 15. Merkel flew to Washington on her last foreign …

Russia tested over 320 types of weapons in its operations in Syria, the country’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced during his visit to the Rostvertol helicopter manufacturing factory in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Wednesday. The helicopters manufactured at that very factory were also part of their operations in Syria. Russia has …

Jordan’s King Abdullah will meet President Joe Biden at the White House on July 19, the first Arab leader to be welcomed by the U.S. president since he took office in January. The official visit marks a crucial reset to U.S.-Jordanian ties, which had suffered under President Donald Trump. The …

The Biden administration’s goals in climate policy, renewable energy infrastructure investment both domestically and globally (the Build Back Better World, or B3W, initiative), and its Middle East policy may be on the verge of a collision. While the administration would like to dial back its engagement in the Middle East …

Even the most ardent supporters of President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan recognize the inherent tension in his policy. Biden promised Afghanistan’s top leaders in a recent meeting at the White House that he would maintain U.S. material support to the country. But ensuring a …

According to sources in the city of Busra al-Sham in rural Daraa, 8th Brigade fighters have received their salaries from Russia — but at only half their usual value. The 8th Brigade is headed by Ahmed al-Awda, the former leader of opposition factions, “The 5th Corps, which belongs to the …

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal al-Mekdad on Thursday received an Iranian Foreign Ministry delegation led by Assistant Foreign Minister Reza Najafi. The two sides discussed laying the foundations for cooperation in different domains, particularly fighting terrorism targeting them, with emphasis on its economic form represented by unilateral coercive …

Attacks by Iran’s militias on U.S. bases around Syria are a way for Tehran to put pressure on the U.S., as part of the Nuclear Deal negotiations, according to Baladi News. Attacks against U.S. forces, leading the international coalition against ISIS, have become more and more frequent. Most recently, a …

Remarks by Russian officials following the Astana-16 meeting revealed that Russia continues to insist that Bashar al-Assad remains in power and that political settlement should be a topic separate from the reconstruction. In fact, while the West maintains its position of refusing to finance reconstruction before a UN-sponsored political settlement, …

Joseph Daher is a researcher specializing in political economy. He wrote extensively on Syria and Lebanon, and most notably authored “Syria after the Uprisings, The Political Economy of State Resilience.” He is affiliated with the European University Institute and its Wartime and Postconflict in Syria program. The Syrian Observer: Recent …