How Russia and Iran maintain their grip in Syria under the shadows of the Ukraine war
Parallel and interdependent crises in Syria and Lebanon undermine domestic and regional progress.
How Russia’s military, diplomatic, and economic roles in the Mediterranean have developed in recent years
Hindered by an array of domestic and international obstacles and competing regime priorities, the Syrian government’s efforts to attract regional capital for investment and reconstruction will be insufficient.
A sobering look at how COVID-19 will affect Libya, Syria, and Yemen, where war and conflict have not only decimated most of these countries’ precious resources but are further destroying what remains of them.
What lies ahead for the Arabs, Kurds, and Turks after Ankara’s assault on northern Syria?
For Syria, and the rest of the world, the era of liberal peacebuilding has passed. But there are other ways to make peace, which call for a return to basics and a new kind of “software”
While maintaining the status quo for the time being might seem the easiest option, it is also the worst possible one
Russia is primed to benefit economically from an influx of foreign investment in Syria, but an emerging rivalry with China and Iran for contracts could erode its long-term leverage.
The geopolitical ripples around Operation Olive Branch raise questions about Ankara’s ability to achieve its goal of preventing the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish entity in northwestern Syria.
The Assad regime has won the war; it cannot, however, win the peace.
Rebuilding Iraq and Syria, and addressing separatist movements, require learning from the mistakes of a century’s misrule.
The Syrian Al-Assad regime’s survival owes a lot to its foreign patrons, as well as U.S. incompetence.
Lebanon’s president navigates the treacherous waters of the cold war between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Syrian rebels are unlikely to rebound from defeat anytime soon, while Iran and Russia stand to gain immensely.
Western impotence in Aleppo and the Syrian civil war, and the approaching victory of the Russian-Iranian alliance, is another sign of sweeping changes in the region’s political order.
The Syrian conflict has been alternately exploited and ignored long enough. The world can no longer afford to look the other way.
The Damascus regime’s military offensive could ruin already slim chances for a negotiated peace in Syria. A divided opposition and rival great powers further complicate a tricky diplomatic initiative.
Russia’s intervention has intensified the Syrian civil war, drawing both Western and regional powers deeper into a seemingly intractable conflict.
The promise of Western military support and a shared opposition to Russia’s intervention are driving Syrian opposition forces to unite and—for many of them—move away from extremist rhetoric.
By destroying rebel groups’ attempts at local governance, Russian military assistance is helping Assad present his government as the only viable force to rule Syria.
