Policy Analysis

An Iran-backed militia run by a notorious human rights abuser was kicked out of a Christian town after it tried to replace local police leaders.

The steps taken to actually implement Riyadh and Tehran’s new normalization accord bear close watching given the uncertainties surrounding their 1998 and 2001 agreements.

Kataib Babiliyoun pretends to be a local Christian unit, but its members have been recruited from Shia Muslim communities in southern Iraq with the goal of dominating the strategic Nineveh Plains region.

Opposition factions face numerous difficulties in the lead-up to the next elections, as internal disputes may undermine their success.

Beijing has responded to regional conflicts with a bevy of multilateral forums, peace plans, and envoys, but without the deeper commitments and follow-through required to resolve them.

U.S.-designated terrorists and human rights abusers are beginning to receive senior ranks, staff college certification, and national security degrees at Iraqi and Arab military schools.

China brokered the agreement, but this does not signal a new Beijing-led order in the Middle East—in fact, it could make regional tensions worse.

This year has seen a massive increase in the training of Iraqi militia officers at Defense Ministry academies, and a dedicated PMF training college might be developed under expanded legislation.

Four veteran journalists offer their insights from the frontlines of different combat zones, including Middle East conflicts and the Ukraine war.

Watch a special conversation about the murder of Lebanese activist and writer Lokman Slim between veteran Lebanese journalist Hanin Ghaddar and Slim's widow and colleague, Monika Borgmann.

As waves of protest rock the country following mass arrests of political opponents, what will happen next?

The PA’s weakening grip over its territory, coupled with the rise of a young generation frustrated with their political leaders, has helped accelerate the vicious cycle of Palestinian attacks and IDF crackdowns.

The surprise development may have more to do with resolving the Yemen war than rebuking the Biden administration, but the full implications will take time to register.

As the conflict enters year two, it remains unclear if the West has fully internalized the right lessons about Moscow, its partners in the “Global South,” or the parameters of long-term victory.

His government is using CT tools to go after the political opposition, but the ongoing lull in jihadist activity may give Washington some breathing room to press him on these issues.

The hard lessons learned in Syria have given European leaders the confidence and tools they needed to respond forcefully in Ukraine.

A panel of former senior Israeli officials discusses how the convulsive domestic debate may affect vital issues related to military preparedness, Iranian nuclear advancement, Palestinian terrorism, and more.

Growing domestic blowback presents a strategic opportunity to alter the balance of power in Lebanon, shrink Iran’s long-range influence, and promote true political diversity within the Shia community.

Erdogan's stance has been pro-Ukrainian but not anti-Russian, enabling him to strike a delicate balance between NATO expectations, Moscow’s economic lifeline, and domestic political pressures.

By taking largely ambivalent stances on the Ukraine war, states in the region have helped ease the effects of international sanctions against Moscow.