The fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime came not with a grand international declaration, but with the gradual crumbling of a system that had long outlived its foundations and a flash military operation by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Now, the opposition, which once fought for its survival against …

On March 31, 2025, the Ijtihad [Independent Jurisprudential Reasoning] and Fatwa Committee of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), headquartered in Qatar, issued a brief ten-point fatwa about “the continuation of aggression on Gaza and violation of the ceasefire” by Israel, calling for all Muslims and Muslim …

In recent weeks, much international attention has focused on the war between Russia and Ukraine, and US President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring the fighting to an end. However, another long-standing conflict, just a few hundred kilometers southeast of Ukraine, might also be approaching a peaceful resolution: the more than …

On the morning of Wednesday, March 19, Istanbul police arrested Ekrem İmamoğlu, the city’s mayor and a member of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). According to the prosecutor’s statement, İmamoğlu and 106 others were charged with leading and participating in a criminal organization, extortion, bribery, aggravated fraud, unlawful acquisition …

Abstract: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s background as a former branch of the Islamic State and al-Qa`ida has created a perception that it is untrustworthy when it comes to security concerns of the United States and its allies. This has come to the fore even more acutely with the fall of the …

Abstract: This article analyzes the evolution of terrorist drone usage and forecasts its future trajectory in light of the tactical and technological innovations emerging from the Russo-Ukrainian War. The conflict has become a critical “innovation hub” for drone warfare, accelerating advancements in the scale, speed, and range of drone operations. …

On March 26, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron made a significant announcement regarding France’s continued support for Ukraine amidst the ongoing war with Russia. During a high-level meeting in Paris, Macron declared that France would provide an additional €2 billion in military aid to Ukraine, reinforcing his country’s commitment to …

Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s energy sector have caused at least 60 billion rubles ($714 million) in damage, a joint investigation by RFE/RL, Frontelligence Insight, and a group of volunteers reveals. Our analysis of over 100 satellite images of sites hit by Ukraine between September 2024 and February 12, 2025 also …

It is now common practice to refer to Ahmad al-Sharaa as Syria’s interim president. Following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa was appointed on January 29, 2025 by the Syrian General Command – the collective leadership of the rebel factions that had coordinated Assad’s overthrow. Tasked with forming …

On December 7, 1941, the United States was thrust into the Second World War when Imperial Japan launched a surprise attack against Pearl Harbor. While there were already warning signs of Japanese aggression, the surprise assault still caught America sleeping. Similarly, on September 11, 2001, the United States suffered the …