Middle Orient

Since the outbreak of the popular uprising in 2011, Syria has become an open arena for regional and international interventions. With a political solution stalled, the conflict-ridden land has become crowded with conflicting agendas. In this landscape, Turkish-backed factions have emerged as instruments of influence on the Syrian scene, ostensibly …

The Syrian army took control of the west of the Euphrates River, after controlling the city of Tabqa and the Euphrates Dam southwest of Raqqa, after several hours of clashes, at dawn on Sunday, January 18. Enab Baladi’s correspondent, who is accompanying the operations in the vicinity of the city …

Note: CTP-ISW has resumed publishing daily Iran Updates to cover the ongoing protests in Iran. CTP-ISW’s weekend updates will only include analysis on the protests, while our weekday updates will also include analysis on Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Key Takeaways The Iranian Regime’s Securitization: The regime’s plan to limit most …

Deir ez-Zor province, eastern Syria, is witnessing clashes between tribes and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the villages controlled by the latter in the eastern part of the Euphrates River. According to Enab Baladi correspondent in Deir ez-Zor, the tribes took control of the points of the “SDF” in …

Deir ez-Zor province, eastern Syria, is witnessing clashes between tribes and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the villages controlled by the latter in the eastern part of the Euphrates River. According to Enab Baladi correspondent in Deir ez-Zor, the tribes took control of the points of the “SDF” in …

Renewed clashes between local factions in Sweida, and between the internal security forces, affiliated to the Syrian Ministry of Interior, in the western countryside of Sweida, on Saturday, January 17. Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Daraa reported that the clashes between the two parties began on Friday evening, January 16, and …

A member of the National Guard forces was killed in Sweida, following renewed clashes between the National Guard of the spiritual head of the Druze community, Hekmat al-Hijri, and the internal security forces of the Syrian Ministry of Interior, in the western countryside of the city, on Friday morning, January …

According to the latest figures released by the Gaza Ministry of Health (GMoH) on December 23rd 2025, Israel had killed at least 70,937 Palestinians and wounded 171,192; of those identified fatalities, 53% were women, children or elderly. Despite the decimation of Gaza’s healthcare system, the GMoH has demonstrated remarkable resilience …

Benjamin Netanyahu a appelé Donald Trump pour le presser de ne pas bombarder l’Iran car, selon certaines sources, Israël se sent vulnérable à une contre-attaque iranienne, écrit Joe Lauria. Israël craint que ses systèmes de défense aérienne, affaiblis par les Iraniens lors du conflit de douze jours en juin dernier, …

Is the new Turkish-Saudi-Pakistani defense pact an attempt at an Islamic NATO or a strategic self-sabotage? The idea of a budding “Islamic NATO” under Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia might seem bold and fresh in a period of Middle Eastern “realignment.” But don’t dismiss it out of hand as the …