Middle Orient

In the wake of intense fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi ordered the withdrawal of his personnel from contested areas of Aleppo province. “Based on invitations from friendly countries and mediators, and in demonstration of our good faith in completing …

Latest Developments Syrian Troops Ready Offensive on Kurdish-Held Areas: Syrian government troops are preparing to launch an offensive against Kurdish-held towns in the north and east of the country after clashes broke out a week earlier in Aleppo. The Syrian authorities have reportedly decided on a limited operation to pressure …

Aleppo, Syria – Syria is teetering on the brink of a return to full-scale war, as bloodshed returned to Aleppo’s streets following the Syrian government’s offensive to seize the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods of Achrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud from the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Fighting erupted last Tuesday and continued for …

Israel’s agreement with Somaliland will boost its security in the Red Sea Basin and may encourage the United States and other countries to follow suit, though political obstacles and complications abound. The surprise announcement on December 26 that Israel will be the first country to grant Somaliland full recognition has …

The Somali Defense Minister’s request for Saudi Arabia to replicate its South Yemeni campaign in Somaliland coupled with reports about those two’s and Egypt’s impending alliance that would thus de facto include their Eritrean ally strongly suggest that something big might soon be afoot. Reports have recently circulated about three …

Toplines The Iranian regime’s extreme securitization of society and brutal crackdown on protests appear to have suppressed the protest movement for now. The regime’s widespread mobilization of security forces is unsustainable, however, which makes it possible that protests could resume. The regime has also not addressed and likely will not …

Syria’s Kurdish authorities say the move does not guarantee people’s rights Syria’s President Ahmad Al Shara on Friday issued a decree affirming the rights of Kurdish ⁠Syrians, formally recognising their language ​and restoring citizenship to the country’s largest minority community. “I have the honour to issue a decree especially for …

Recent clashes between Damascus and the Kurdish forces in Aleppo highlight the risk that stalling integration talks may trigger broader violence. Since its signing on March 10, no tangible progress has been made on the eight-point agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Interim Government to facilitate …

The incident points to the myriad ways that U.S. adversaries might exploit Moscow’s efforts to claim a permanent stake in Syria’s needy postwar energy sector. This month, shipping data showed a U.S.-sanctioned oil tanker arriving in Syria with a load of Russian crude oil—hardly a surprise given that sanctioned vessels …

Israel’s approval of the delayed export agreement is a welcome development, but U.S. officials should view it as the start, not the end, of efforts to ease tensions between two key peace partners. On December 17, Israel announced the largest natural gas deal in its history—a $35 billion agreement to …