ISWAP has killed Boko Haram leader and longtime nemesis, Abubakar Shekau, and seeks to take over his faction’s bases in Nigeria. With the potential collapse of Shekau’s Boko Haram faction, ISWAP will be less distracted from implementing its civilian-centric insurgency strategy. Some portion of Shekau’s remaining faction could defect to …

Attacks by Iraqi militia, backed by Iran, on protesters and activists are destabilizing Iraq in the run-up to October 2021 national elections. The government of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is attempting to marginalize the Iran-backed militias, but only enjoying mixed success. The militias suppress any challenge to their autonomy, their …

Syria has renewed its call on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities within the framework of the United Nations Charter and to force the Israeli occupation entity to respect its decisions related to the Separation of Forces Agreement and hold all parties that support terrorism and launch attacks on …

History matters. Not least in the Middle East, where very little is unrelated to what happened some time ago, and often needs to be interpreted in that light. The UK/US relationship is much the same. The week of the G7 summit in England began with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson …

The Iranian and Russian negotiators meeting in Vienna with global powers played down the hopes for a quick settlement in the talks to revive the 2015 landmark deal that curtailed Tehran’s nuclear programs. Abbas Araqchi, Tehran’s chief negotiator, said late on June 12 that he did not think they could …

The departing head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service has hinted at possible Israeli involvement in recent attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and on an Iranian scientist, though he stopped short of directly claiming responsibility. The statements to Israel’s Channel 12 by Yossi Cohen, broadcast late on June 10, included phrasing …

The Washington Post has quoted current and former U.S. and Middle Eastern officials as saying that Russia is preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite system that could greatly advance Tehran’s surveillance in the region and beyond. The report says the Russian-made Kanopus-V satellite and its high-resolution camera could …

As the U.S. prepares to withdraw from Afghanistan, China seeks to leverage opportunities for influence while avoiding potential security risks. In early June, foreign ministers from China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan met to discuss how to maintain security amidst a U.S. troop withdrawal. China’s growing visibility in the region means Beijing …

Series Note: We are in the middle of an unprecedented crisis as the Covid-19 pandemic, and the lockdowns implemented in response, continue to deliver a series of economic, social and psychological shocks to the world. In this time of chaos, some of the world’s most powerful interest groups have stepped …

Iran-backed militias have arrested militants from the Nujaba movement near Aleppo, reports Etihad Press. Iranian militias arrested a Damascus regime officer, as well as civilians and several members of the Iraqi “Nujaba” movement, in rural Aleppo. According to the local website Ain Al-Furat, drivers were arrested at a checkpoint held …