Middle Orient

After Hamas refused to release the remaining Israeli and foreign hostages, the IDF reentered Gaza on March 18, 2025. Unless the hostages abducted by Hamas and its allies are released and the Palestinian threat entities disarm and surrender, Israel will reoccupy and annex Gaza. In keeping with the plan of …

Axios recently reported that Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer “lashed out” at U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler in a “tense” phone call for negotiating with terror group Hamas for the return of a kidnapped U.S. citizen. In February, the U.S. informed Israel of its intent, Israel advised against it, …

BRUSSELS ­– Despite domestic political turmoil, Ankara’s timing to pitch closer ties with the EU and win access to the bloc’s defence funds couldn’t be better. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has chosen his moment well. Faced with mass protests over the jailing of popular opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu, he …

Israel has resumed massive attacks on the Gaza Strip after a two-month hiatus. Israeli authorities hope that pressure will help return the hostages that Hamas has held in Gaza for almost a year and a half. The Palestinian movement continues to hold 24 people. At the same time, critics of …

Latest Developments Syrian Troops Allegedly Kidnapped: Clashes erupted across the Syria-Lebanon border on March 16 after the Syrian transitional government accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of kidnapping and killing three of its soldiers in Lebanon. Hezbollah denied any involvement in the incident. Transitional Government Shells Lebanon: In response to the alleged kidnappings, …

Senior Iranian officials are trying to obfuscate Iran’s role in leading the Axis of Resistance by denying that Iran exerts direct control over groups like the Houthis, likely to avoid escalation with the United States. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivered a Nowruz speech to Iranian officials in Tehran on …

IDF forces continued operations to counteract Hezbollah’s military buildup and presence in south Lebanon, contrary to the ceasefire agreement. A commander of the air defense system of a regional unit within the organization was eliminated, and Hezbollah Radwan Force facilities in south Lebanon were targeted. Lebanese government officials and Hezbollah …

A renewed peace effort between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has reignited hopes for a resolution to the four-decade-long Kurdish insurgency and the broader Kurdish question in Turkey. In a historic announcement on February 27, PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned on Turkey’s Imrali Island since 1999, …

Days before his troops overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Ahmad al-Sharaa said that Syria deserves a political system in which no “single ruler makes arbitrary decisions.” Yet now, as the country’s interim president, al-Sharaa has unveiled a constitution that puts executive, legislative, and judicial power in his own hands, …

The Middle East’s only viable path toward stability and security lies in fostering dialogue, coordinated initiatives, and joint diplomacy among its influential states. The 2023–2025 war in Gaza and Lebanon has not only shattered any remaining hopes for regional peace but also exposed the impotence of the international community, the …