Middle Orient

The international coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and Syria said Monday there has been a “reduction in attacks” by jihadists in both countries this year. The IS extremists in 2014 launched their self-proclaimed “caliphate” across swathes of both countries in a campaign marked by its brutality …

Issuing a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that the Turkish army has renewed airstrike on the positions of PKK elements in northern Iraq. According to the statement, three PKK elements were killed in the attack. Earlier on April 17, two people were killed and two others were injured …

The Iranian Army on Thursday took delivery of more than 200 strategic drones manufactured by the Defense Ministry. In an event attended by Army Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the strategic unmanned aerial vehicles, designed and manufactured by the Defense Ministry in cooperation with the Army, were delivered to various …

Nothing succeeds like success. Despite every prediction to the contrary, Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, was not swept away during the Arab Spring but, with the considerable support of Russia and Iran, has clung to power. In an utterly ruthless, no-holds-barred civil war, which included the use of deadly chemical weapons …

According to the Israeli Defense Ministry’s data, Hezbollah received $700 million from Iran last year as well as “knowledge and strategic weaponry” such as precision-guided munitions. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Thursday that the IDF must prepare for a multi-front war in which Israel faces many serious security threats …

Reza Pahlavi’s trip to Israel and his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to be part of his campaign to garner support for regime change in Iran, as the opposition camps were scrambling for unity. A visit to Israel this week by Iran’s last crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, has …

Syrian Kurds, whom Bashar al-Assad once labeled “traitors” and “collaborators,” now seek a new peace with the Syrian government. As Arab governments and Turkey seek to mend fences with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the country’s Kurds have unveiled a new initiative to make peace with Damascus, saying that Western governments …

Israel is engaged in efforts to de-escalate tensions in Sudan, but its security and diplomatic leaderships are split between the two fighting camps. The director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Ronen Levy, confirmed Thursday that Jerusalem is involved in international efforts to de-escalate the current conflict in Sudan and is …

Crisis Group’s work preventing conflict and shaping peace has a positive influence on crises around the globe. This Impact Note highlights cases in Afghanistan, Colombia, Ethiopia, Mali, Nagorno-Karabakh, the U.S. and Yemen, as well as our advocacy at the EU and UN and our research on climate and conflict in …

Young Palestinians have formed new armed groups across the West Bank. Small, disjointed and scattered, they lack a clear political agenda. But both Israel and the Palestinian Authority have found reason to exaggerate the threat they pose to the status quo. In the past couple of years, a new generation …