Syria

As part of its strategic blueprint against Israel, Tehran is prepared to pay a steep price to continue consolidating its military presence in Syria, and Arab normalization with Assad will not change that trend in the least.

An in-depth look at how Russian leaders have played the Kurdish card over the past two centuries, including recent engagement in Syria and Iraq.

Their willingness to sanction the top HTS money man after years without a designation suggests that the group’s charm offensive has not assuaged concerns in either capital.

Driven by forced conscription, economic deterioration, and lack of opportunities, Syrians are increasingly crossing the M4 in northern Syria on their journey to Europe.

Separating propaganda from truth has always been a challenge in places like Syria, but it is increasingly so in Washington as well given the rise of myriad forms of misinformation.

The organization’s latest report showed persistent backsliding last year and since the Arab Spring, along with dramatic drops in a handful of countries and warnings of further drops next year.

Syria's rise in the world of drug trafficking has only exacerbated the preexisting drug crisis inside its borders, as a lack of opportunities leaves many vulnerable.

Many Middle Eastern outlets have used the crisis to reinforce their inflammatory rhetoric, but some have provided nuanced analysis through the lenses of democratic principles and Arab-Israel peace.

The Gulf states have their own reasons for reaching out to Assad, but they need to understand that Washington will not exempt them from most of its multilayered Syria sanctions without substantial change in the regime’s posture.