In a declaration of steadfast resolve, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Katz has asserted that Israeli forces will remain firmly entrenched atop Mount Hermon and continue their vigilant oversight of what he described as a “security zone” in southern Syria. Katz emphasised that this position is non-negotiable, characterising it as a …

Iran is strengthening ties with allies in Iraq and Lebanon while accusing the US and Israel of coercive diplomacy in its latest regional push. Iran continues to do outreach to its friends in Iraq and Lebanon while also slamming Israel and making it seem like talks with the West are …

The Donald Trump administration has launched several criminal cases against prominent critics of the president and carried out purges within the federal prosecutor’s office and the FBI. Trump himself has repeatedly demanded prosecutions of his opponents and promises even more investigations against those he blames for his own lawsuits and …

The statement, released on 5 November 2025, squarely blamed the Ministry of Interior and security agencies for the current instability. The Homs Bar Association has issued a stark warning over the province’s deteriorating security and legal environment, warning that Homs risks becoming a hotbed of lawlessness, violence and vigilante justice. …

Terrorist organizations are rarely random or senseless in their acts of violence. Rather, their attacks are often strategically planned to reflect their ideological goals, operational capabilities, and political objectives. While some groups are selective in targeting military and law enforcement personnel, others adopt a more indiscriminate approach, directing violence toward …

High stakes: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani confronted KH on 9 August, breaking a longstanding pattern of political caution. Image: Tasnim News Agency / Wikimedia Commons Fears over leadership decapitation, calls for restraint from the Iraqi government, and discouragement from Iran were behind the militias’ decision not to get …

The post-2003 security landscape in Iraq has seen the proliferation of dozens of militias identifying with Shiite Islam. Many of these actors are integrated into the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) – a paramilitary group established in 2014 to counter the Islamic State and later incorporated into the Iraqi state forces …

In late October, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced the unilateral withdrawal of its fighters from Turkey to northern Iraq. The announcement came on the heels of PKK fighters symbolically burning weapons in northern Iraq in July. In response, Turkey praised the move and is reportedly preparing legislation to allow …

On New Year’s Eve last December, Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, barely a few weeks after toppling the regime of Bashar Al-Assad, gathered the most senior commanders of the Syrian opposition’s fragmented and often fractious factions to declare their official victory over the Baathist regime. During his proclamation, he warned that …

Undermining the group in Lebanon requires targeting its networks abroad. After being battered by Israel, Hezbollah is working to replenish its badly damaged capabilities. Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, was in Beirut last month to press Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to disarm the Iran-backed group—but …