Middle Orient

In a September 30, 2025 interview with the Iranian Tabnak website, reformist Sadeq Zibakalam, professor emeritus of political science at Tehran University, expressed criticism unusual for the Iranian political landscape. He attributed direct responsibility for the tensions in the region to the Iranian revolutionary regime instead of to its traditional …

Toplines An X account attributed to Mossad claimed on October 30 that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Political and Security Affairs, Ali Asghar Hejazi, and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Mohammad Pakpour have sidelined Khamenei and are “making decisions independently.”[1] CTP-ISW cannot …

Latest Developments Hezbollah Terrorist Eliminated: The IDF announced on October 31 that it had eliminated Hezbollah terrorist Muhammad Raslan, a maintenance operative in the group who was actively rebuilding terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The strike was carried out by Israeli Air Force assets operating under the IDF’s Northern Command …

As negotiations begin for the second phase of Trump’s ceasefire plan in the Gaza Strip, the two-year-old war is entering a new phase that could bring unexpected shifts. While attention is focused on the major issues on the negotiating table, it seems that the finer details in the more complex …

“We will hand over the rule in Gaza to the Administrative Committee,” said Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas’ negotiating team, on October 26. The statement came on the heels of a meeting between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo under Egypt’s auspices, where both parties confirmed an agreement in which …

Israeli and Arab military officials have come together for meetings and trainings, facilitated by U.S. Central Command, on regional threats, Iran and underground tunnels. Even as key Arab states condemned the war in the Gaza Strip, they quietly expanded security cooperation with the Israeli military, leaked U.S. documents reveal. Those …

Latest Developments Hamas Attacks in Rafah: Hamas terrorists attacked IDF troops in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on October 28, violating the fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist group. During the attack, the terrorists reportedly used small arms and an anti-tank missile to fire at Israeli forces. …

Ahmad al-Awda is a pivotal figure in Syria’s post-Assad military and political landscape, particularly in the southern province of Daraa, where his influence has shaped regional dynamics for over a decade. Known for his shifting allegiances, strategic pragmatism, and military autonomy, al-Awda has transitioned from a Free Syrian Army (FSA) …

A few days after the body of a General Security member was found shot near the town of Nahta in Daraa countryside in mid-September, ISIS released a video showing the field execution of the same young man, who had served in the General Security forces during the clashes between local …

In the quiet corridors of Syria’s emerging republic—where the embers of revolution still flicker beneath the veneer of reconstruction—the saga of the so-called “Strangers’ Brigade” has once again resurfaced. Far from a transient disturbance, it remains a persistent quandary that continues to haunt the evolving Syrian polity. First surfacing in …