January, 2026

• 26 January

  “Fraternity of Peoples”: The Kurdish Autonomous Administration Project Born Rejected

  

  With the Autonomous Administration retreating back into the confines of Hasakah province, the project is reverting to its earliest form: a structure rooted in the Kurdish street. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have all but collapsed, leaving the People’s Protection Units (YPG) to stand alone. Amid widespread fear of massacres—after …

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• 26 January

  Tensions Between Syrian Government and SDF Leave Syrian Prisons Vulnerable

  

  Despite the announcement of a ceasefire between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish militia said that fighting continues near Raqqa, and that clashes are leading to an “extremely dangerous development,” which leaves prisons and detention centers vulnerable. While it is unclear how many individuals have …

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• 26 January

  Kurdish Collapse in Northeast Syria? Key Things to Watch

  

  Washington Institute experts assess the immediate fallout of the Syrian government’s advance into SDF-held parts of the northeast, including mutual disinformation campaigns, implications for the Islamic State threat, the terms of new agreements with the Kurds, and the calculus of outside actors like the United States, Israel, and Turkey. Cutting …

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• 26 January

  Caught in the Crossfire: Islamic State Detention Sites at Risk

  

  With rival forces openly warring in northeast Syria, the long-deferred challenges of identifying, securing, and repatriating IS detainees have come to a head, forcing Washington to prioritize several urgent actions and put more pressure on its partners. Almost overnight, the map of Syria has changed again as stalled talks between …

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• 26 January

  Iran Endgame? Protests, Repression, and the Trump Administration

  

  Three experts discuss the rapidly changing situation in Iran, including the status of opposition elements on the ground, the U.S. interests at play in the crisis, and Washington’s policy options for bolstering both. On January 14, The Washington Institute held a virtual Policy Forum with Holly Dagres, Michael Eisenstadt, and …

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• 26 January

  Protection or partition? The future of Suweida and Syria’s Druze

  

  Damascus, Syria – Since last July, the question of Syria’s Suweida province has entered a new phase. There is no longer talk of negotiations with the Damascus government, nor plans for the surrender of weapons. Instead, the dominant theme among some of the province’s leaders has become secession from Syria …

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• 26 January

  Why the Middle East fears a US-Israel attack on Iran

  

  US President Donald Trump has faced mounting pressure to respond militarily to Iran’s crackdown on protesters across the country. Although Trump has, for the moment, refrained from authorising a strike, a military operation against Iran remains a distinct possibility. US officials indicate that another critical decision point may arise in …

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• 26 January

  Kosovo, Bulgaria, Turkey Join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

  

  Kosovo Bulgaria and Turkey, along with representatives of other countries, joined US President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Davos, Switzerland, at the signing ceremony of the Board of Peace Charter, creating a new international body supposedly aimed at resolving conflicts around the world. Trump, who was presented as the chairman …

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• 26 January

  Democracy Digest: Orban Signs Up to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’, Nawrocki prevaricates

  

  Hungarian PM Viktor Orban this week joined Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative as one of only two EU leaders to do so (alongside Bulgaria). Orban, who has stayed away from the World Economic Forum in Davos in recent years, traveled to Switzerland just to meet Trump and to visibly …

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• 26 January

  Russia in the South Caucasus: two factors explaining what has changed

  

  Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus has decreased in recent years. Well beyond Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and long-term trends, two factors in particular help understanding why things have changed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Azerbaijan’s war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the authoritarian turn in Georgia have all contributed to …

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