Coming the same week as Secretary Pompeo’s Middle East tour, the incident is a powerful example of the regional threat posed by Iran.
Barbara A. Leaf and Elana DeLozier
Riyadh has leverage to undermine Iran’s project in Yemen and can do so alongside UN-brokered peace talks.
China likely hoped to find economic opportunities in Syria's reconstruction—yet another example of how it relies on the security umbrella provided by U.S. troops in international conflict zones.
Jerusalem seeks to mitigate the potential risks of the president’s decision by shaping its implementation and obtaining U.S. security guarantees, though long-term concerns still loom.
Amid mounting evidence that the rebels are trying to collapse the ceasefire, Washington should rally a multinational demarche to accelerate their withdrawal from key ports and urban areas.
Katherine Bauer, Michael Knights, and Bilal Wahab
To pressure Iran without cornering Iraq, U.S. officials should set a program of activities with achievable timeframes, supported by public diplomacy.
Articles & Op-Eds
Matthew Levitt and Aaron Y. Zelin
If the Syria withdrawal proves inevitable, officials should push to phase the departure, keep U.S. forces at Tanf, maintain the air campaign, forge a counterterror agreement with Turkey, and take other fallback measures.
Articles & Op-Eds
China likely hoped to find economic opportunities in Syria's reconstruction—yet another example of how it relies on the security umbrella provided by U.S. troops in international conflict zones.
PolicyWatch 3064
Jerusalem seeks to mitigate the potential risks of the president’s decision by shaping its implementation and obtaining U.S. security guarantees, though long-term concerns still loom.
PolicyWatch 3060
Despite the heavy risks created by recent policy reversals, a well-managed transition can help preserve the major gains against the Islamic State while protecting America’s local partners.
