Middle Orient

Syria’s interim president on Thursday signed a temporary constitution that leaves the country under Islamist rule while promising to protect the rights of all Syrians for five years during a transitional phase. The nation’s interim rulers have struggled to exert their authority across much of Syria since the Islamist former …

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have agreed to merge with Damascus’s new government. Alright, here’s what’s on tap for the day: The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces make a deal with Syria’s new government, Russian President Vladimir Putin says he’s open to a cease-fire in Ukraine (but there’s a catch), and …

In what some have described as a breakthrough deal, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed to merge with Syria’s new government on Monday. Although the deal has generated immense media attention, questions remain over how the SDF’s integration will take shape and the sustainability of the agreement, as the …

Virtually alone within Iran’s Axis of Resistance, the Houthi movement (Ansarallah) in Yemen is threatening to resume its attacks on Israel and in the Red Sea if the Gaza ceasefire collapses, as well as if Israel continues to block aid from entering Gaza. Trump officials have publicly warned that, should …

Iran’s strategic setbacks have enabled Türkiye to expand its influence in the Middle East, aggravating tensions between Ankara and Tehran. Their rivalry has escalated even though they agree on major regional issues, such as the Gaza conflict and the broader Palestinian-Israeli dispute. Türkiye’s leaders have warned their Iranian counterparts to …

The leader of Daesh in Iraq and Syria has been killed, Iraq’s prime minister said on Friday, describing him as “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world.” Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay’i, also known as Abu Khadija, had been killed by …

The Iranian foreign minister stressed the right of the Palestinians to continue their “resistance” against Israel, criticized President Trump’s proposal to transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, and called for international sanctions on Israel. He also reiterated Iran’s opposition to the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Iranian media reported …

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani spoke to supporters at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus hours after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani has dropped that nom de guerre associated with his jihadist past, and been using his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in official communiques issued since Thursday, …

This report highlights the contradictions in Trump’s second-term discourse—the inconsistency between the idea of “America First” and peace. There is substantial evidence suggesting that Trump’s strong return to power will only accelerate the destruction of the remnants of the status quo in the Middle East—a process he initiated during his …

On March 10, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) signed an agreement with Syria’s interim government, integrating the SDF’s 100,000-strong, predominantly Kurdish force into the new Syrian military. This move is surprising, given the deep distrust Syria’s Kurds have toward the interim government led by Ahmed al Sharaa. Sharaa, formerly the …