by Gregory Aftandilian Although uncertainties abound regarding the future of Syria, various players are maneuvering to consolidate and enhance their positions there, or at least to hedge their bets. Alliances such as those between Iran and Russia now appear to… Continue Reading
by Helena Cobban This week, Mideast watchers have been breathlessly awaiting the arrival in NATO member Turkey of the first of the two batteries of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan purchased from Russia in… Continue Reading
by Joe Macaron US officials appear to be overselling a potential deal with Turkey on establishing a “safe zone” in northeastern Syria, one they hope could peel Ankara away from Moscow. However, this approach might accelerate the confrontation between Turkish… Continue Reading
by Aaron Southlea On his recent visit to Israel, Jared Kushner presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a State Department map showing the occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel. President Donald Trump left a short message on the map,… Continue Reading
by Helena Cobban [Ed. note: This story has been updated with additional information below.] Last month, a network of UK-based academics challenged allegations—which the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) officially corroborated on March 1—that the Syrian government… Continue Reading