Middle East

Well into its sixth year, it is easy to conclude that there is no end in sight to the devastating Syrian civil war. Warring parties […] More

When I landed in Damascus in late 2005 as a foreign correspondent, I went looking for the most popular place where young Syrians spend their […] More

Russia is playing a game of Bismarckian realpolitik in the Middle East – political maneuvering based on current conditions, rather than on ideological premises, that […] More

Since 2012, there has been a period of diplomatic activity by the Kremlin in the Middle East which is unprecedented since the fall of the […] More

Syria is Russia’s only real ally in the Middle East. A stable and friendly Syria is in Moscow’s best interests. Stability in Syria is also […] More

To optimists, it may appear that Iran is headed in a new direction. During the past year, Iranian leaders reached a landmark nuclear deal with […] More

“Do you see the cornered cat?  With its tiny claws, it tears out the eyes of a leopard” “The Cipher Brief has become the most […] More

Iran’s February 26 elections for the Majlis, or parliament, and for the Assembly of Experts, a clerically-dominated 88-member body that will select the successor to […] More

Confronted with instability in neighboring Libya, a civil war to its south in Sudan, and an ISIS affiliate taking root in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt’s […] More

Egypt’s latest cabinet reshuffle, which Cairo announced last Wednesday, caught many observers both within and outside Egypt by surprise.  But given that four of the […] More

The cabinet reshuffle implemented by Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi last week aims to reinvigorate Egypt’s floundering economy, explains Dr. Amr Adly of the Carnegie […] More

Egypt’s economy remains in a dire state primarily due to the fall in global oil prices, which has led to a decline in foreign direct […] More

This morning, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced the death of ISIS’ number two leader, Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Mustafa al-Qaduli, also known as Haji […] More

ISIS’s attack in Brussels has raised questions about where the next attack may occur. Rob Richer, former Associate Director of Operations for the CIA, agreed […] More

Despite territorial losses to its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq, ISIS remains committed to spreading its ideological message, harsh rule, and terrorist tactics to […] More

The rise of the Islamic State and its spread across Africa and the Middle East may seem like a novel phenomenon, but it is hardly […] More

As goes its motto, The Islamic State is remaining and expanding. Even as the group faces growing military pressure in its core territories in Iraq and […] More

From its base in Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) has morphed into a worldwide jihadi network. Casting a vast net is […] More