Eurasia

“Before el-Sissi, but also during his tenure, cars, motorcycles, clothes, drugs, medicines, alcoholic beverages, and weapons were smuggled through the Philadelphi Corridor over the years, lots of weapons: improved RPG-29 rockets that killed our soldiers in the Iron Swords War, hidden rocket parts, machine guns, mines, and more.” — Nadav …

KEY TAKEAWAYS Afghanistan has a façade of domestic stability, with armed conflict decreasing since the U.S. withdrawal.But dire economic, humanitarian and human rights conditions and Taliban violence build pressure on the population.The international community remains vexed over how to engage the Taliban. Lacking formal recognition from all member states, the …

Analysis: Isaac Herzog’s visits to Albania and Serbia underscore Israel’s expanding ties with the Balkans amid global isolation due to its war on Gaza. Israeli President Isaac Herzog concluded a historic first visit to Albania last week, following a similarly significant trip to Serbia, where both countries agreed to pursue …

Analysis: The Gaza war’s expansion into the West Bank has triggered fears in Jordan that Israel is seeking the mass transfer of Palestinians into the Kingdom. Since Jordan and Israel signed their 1994 peace accord, known as the Wadi Araba Treaty, the West Bank-Jordan border has been mostly quiet. However, …

Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal in Gaza is direct reoccupation and ethnic cleansing, fulfilling the Zionist timeline and securing his future, writes Emad Moussa. After the death of six Israeli captives in Gaza, and instead of caving to the mounting internal and external pressure to allow a ceasefire deal with Hamas, Netanyahu …

How to Adapt an Old Theory to New Realities The United States and its allies are facing a crisis of deterrence. China is menacing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea and possibly readying its military for an invasion of Taiwan. Russia shows no sign of giving up its war …

Beep, beep, boom. Thousands were injured and dozens killed in Lebanon this week when beepers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in a coordinated manner on successive days. “We are opening a new phase in the war,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, though Israel has not officially acknowledged that …

Over the past eleven months, the world’s attention has been fixed on the Gaza Strip as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have conducted military operations against Hamas. As a major war in Gaza dominates the front pages, Iran’s proxy Hezbollah continues to launch a stream of aerial attacks into northern …

Executive summary The Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, brought war to the North Atlantic Alliance’s doorstep—altering the political-military dynamics between NATO and its neighbor to the east. Since the Russian invasion, NATO has been undergoing a dramatic change that has impacted its plans, command structure, …

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) stated that the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), in cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), carried out a joint raid in Syria targeting a group of Islamic State (IS) members. The Pentagon’s announcement came during a press briefing by the Deputy Press Secretary …