A group of Russian military and commercial vessels arrived at the port of Tartus (Syrian coast), marking the first Russian resupply operation for the Tartus and Hmeimim facilities since Moscow and Damascus reached an understanding on the future of Russia’s military presence in Syria, according to Reuters. Reuters said a …

Tehran will likely double down on missiles and drones—its most effective weapons during recent conflicts—creating path dependencies that could become critical vulnerabilities if U.S. and partner countermeasures improve further. In two wars waged over the past year and a half, the United States and Israel have inflicted massive damage on …

Key Takeaways: The author rejects “why Arabs can never be democratic” as Orientalist essentialism (Said). Ask instead which institutions, rents, and power balances have so far blocked transitions—without treating 22 unlike states as one culture. Bellin and Sadiki are used to put discourse and coercive institutions ahead of an “Arab …