The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) publish the Iran Update, which provides insights into Iranian and Iranian-sponsored activities that undermine regional stability and threaten US forces and interests. We do not report in detail on war crimes …
Read More »Spotlight on Iran (January 15 – 22, 2025)
Iran presented the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas as an Israeli defeat and a victory for Hamas and the “Palestinian resistance.” According to senior Iranian officials, Israel was forced to agree to the ceasefire after failing to realize its goals in the war even after 15 months. The Houthis …
Read More »“When I learned that Assad and Russian troops had left, I immediately understood that the Turks would begin an operation.” How the Kurds are preparing for a war for survival
While Syria celebrates the fall of the Assad regime, the mood in the north of the country is very different: taking advantage of the chaos, Turkey and its proxy, the Syrian National Army, have launched an offensive against the Kurds. In a matter of days, the autonomous region lost two …
Read More »“We Sang as We Were Returning as if We Were at a Wedding!” How Syria Lived Its First Month with a New Government — A Report from The Insider
For the first time in 50 years, Syrians celebrated the New Year without the Assads. A month after the overthrow of one of the most authoritarian regimes in the Middle East, the country has largely returned to normal life. Immigrants have already begun to return to Syria, but it is …
Read More »Iraq Is In For A Rough 2025 – Analysis
Iraq is a developing democracy, but its location — between Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Syria — means that it always faces pressure from outside its borders. The list of challenges it faced in 2024 ranged from ongoing security threats, including attacks on U.S. military bases by armed groups, political …
Read More »With A New Government, Many Bulgarians Fear A Return To The Past – Analysis
With the approval of a new coalition government, Bulgaria’s parliament has ended a prolonged stretch of political instability, during which the country was largely governed by caretaker cabinets and underwent seven elections in four years. Despite finishing first in the October 2024 elections, the country’s dominant political force, the center-right …
Read More »Syria’s Transition Under Ahmed Al-Sharaa: Diplomacy And Realpolitik – Analysis
With only a few days left of Joe Biden’s administration in the White House, and as Donald Trump once again prepares to take over the American presidency, the Middle East will greet the new government as a region both in turmoil and rapid transition. While a political and military ceasefire …
Read More »Lebanon’s New Dawn – OpEd
After Damascus, Beirut now celebrates a new era with the election of a president, a position that Hezbollah had obstructed, leaving the post vacant since October 2022. This new phase in Lebanon concludes 50 years of regional exploitation of this small country, the second-smallest Arab state in terms of area. …
Read More »Post-Assad Syria: Challenges, Opportunities, And US Role In Shaping Its Future – Analysis
The unexpected fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8 has put Syria in the spotlight once again. Following over a decade of conflict, the killing of hundreds of thousands of Syrians, the displacement of around half of the country’s population internally or externally, there is a new reality in …
Read More »L’ancien eurodéputé Rob Roos poursuit son combat contre Ursula von der Leyen
Entretien avec un homme qui ne fait pas de compromis sur les libertés fondamentales. Durant son mandat au Parlement européen, l’ancien eurodéputé néerlandais Rob Roos avait interpellé la présidente de la Commission à plusieurs reprises, afin d’obtenir ses explications sur ses manœuvres personnelles et son manque de transparence. Il était …
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