May, 2026

• 20 May

  Damascus Between Cairo and Beirut: Testing the Return to the Arab Fold

  

  The diplomatic activity surrounding Damascus can no longer be dismissed as protocol visits or courtesy messages in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s fall. From the side conversation that brought together Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Cyprus, to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani’s visit to …

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• 20 May

  ISIS Claims Responsibility for Attack on Syrian Army Bus in Hassakeh

  

  The Islamic State (ISIS)—a violent extremist organization responsible for widespread atrocities—announced on Tuesday that it carried out the attack targeting a bus transporting Syrian army soldiers in Hassakeh province. The ISIS-linked Amaq News Agency reported that the ambush resulted in deaths and injuries among Syrian government forces. According to the …

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• 20 May

  Elimination of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, Head of Hamas’ Military Wing: Reactions and Significance

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• 20 May

  The European Commission’s New, Chilling Censorship Initiative

  Revealingly, while Belgium’s Press Ethics Council did not trust readers with Vance’s speech on the factual lack of freedom of speech in Europe, the Belgian courts had no issues with a magazine column that incited violence against Belgian Jews. On one hand, the public cannot be trusted with information that …

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• 18 May

  Iran Update Special Report, May 16, 2026

  

  The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute are publishing daily updates to provide analysis on the war with Iran. The updates focus on US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran and the Axis of Resistance’s response to …

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• 18 May

  Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 16, 2026

  

  Toplines The seniormost Russian military command presented a highly inaccurate assessment of the battlefield situation for the fifth consecutive month, absurdly claiming that Russian forces are advancing west of Kupyansk, which they have not, in fact, taken. Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov met with the …

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• 18 May

  After the Iran war, could Israel’s focus shift towards Turkey?

  

  As Israeli political elites increasingly frame Turkey the way they once framed Iran, could Ankara and Tel Aviv’s rivalry become the Middle East’s new faultline? The fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s government in Syria in December 2024, coupled with successive Israeli military campaigns against Iran since October 2024 and the setbacks …

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• 18 May

  ‘Super Sparta, Little Sparta’: How the UAE is doubling down on ties with Israel

  

  From defence to intelligence, UAE-Israel ties have emerged stronger than ever from the Iran war. But how will this deeper cooperation affect the region? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel appear to have emerged from the Iran war with a stronger relationship than ever. The UAE sustained the most …

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• 18 May

  Why Iran’s Navigational Order Will Be Difficult to Overturn

  

  Tehran has upended traditional maritime arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz and remains in the driver’s seat despite U.S. pressure, so authorities cannot expect to reverse this shift quickly even if the war ends soon. On April 28, a Japanese-owned, Panama-flagged crude oil tanker safely transited the Strait of Hormuz …

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• 18 May

  Fatah Meets in Ramallah

  

  The first gathering in a decade by the Palestinian Authority’s dominant party will cast light on a post-Abbas future and governance in Gaza, among other issues. On May 14, Fatah launched its eighth General Conference, which will culminate in the election of officials to lead its various governing bodies. Because …

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