Coronavirus Compounds Iran’s Difficulties
Bottom Line Up Front Iran is the Middle East’s epicenter for the spread of the COVID-19 infection. The failure of Iran’s leaders to contain […] More
Middle East
Geopolitical Fallout from the U.S.-Taliban Deal in Afghanistan
Bottom Line Up Front There are still questions surrounding the recent U.S.-Taliban agreement, including how Washington can pressure the Taliban to fulfill the key […] More
The Plight of Syrian Refugees
Bottom Line Up Front Following intensified fighting in Syria between Turkey and the Assad regime, thousands of refugees are fleeing the country in an […] More
The Syria Scorecard 14 Months On
OPINION — On 19 December 2018, President Donald Trump announced a withdrawal of American Troops from Syria, setting off fierce criticism that led to the […] More
Iran’s Strategy in Syria
Bottom Line Up Front Iran’s intervention in Syria’s civil war has provided Tehran with the ability to support its closest regional allies while simultaneously […] More
United States and Taliban Reach Agreement to End 18-Year Long Conflict
Bottom Line Up Front Over the weekend, the United States and the Afghan Taliban, also referred to as the Quetta Shura Taliban, reached an […] More
The US Deal with the Taliban
The United States signed a peace agreement with Taliban leaders on Saturday that is intended to end the US’ 18-year involvement in Afghanistan. The deal […] More
Turkey and Russia Clash in Syria as Casualties Mount
Bottom Line Up Front Dozens of Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike on Thursday in a development that threatens to drastically escalate the […] More
Pakistan’s Afghan Triumph Carries Risks for Islamabad
Tim Willasey-Wilsey is a former senior member of the British Foreign Office. He is currently a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at Kings College London’s Department […] More
Iraqi Militias Adjust to Losses
Bottom Line Up Front Iran-backed Shia militias in Iraq remain active despite the assassination of their Iranian mentor and the leading Iraqi militia commander. […] More
Russia’s New Middle East Chessboard
On the sidelines of last weekend’s Munich Security Conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sat down to talk. […] More
Iranians Head to the Polls
Bottom Line Up Front Iran’s hardliners are likely to prevail in February 21, 2020 parliamentary elections. Regime hardliners have used their available levers of […] More
On the Verge of a Possible Peace Deal in Afghanistan?
Bottom Line Up Front After a month of on again, off again talks, the United States and the Afghan Taliban seem to have reached […] More
The Fate of Foreign Fighters
Bottom Line Up Front Since the caliphate collapsed, several European nations of captured foreign fighters and associated women and children have refused to deal […] More
Iran Escalates Repression Amid Unrest
Bottom Line Up Front The Iranian regime is using all elements of state power to suppress organized dissent, including widespread arrests and the use […] More
Conflict in Idlib Escalates Between Turkey and Syria While Civilians Suffer
Bottom Line Up Front The nine year-long Syrian civil war continues to rage, with most of the intense fighting taking place in northwestern Syria […] More
The Death of the Two-State Paradigm
If there was any doubt about the moribund state of the two-state paradigm in Palestine, the unveiling of the White House’s peace plan last month […] More
Diminishing Returns from Iran Sanctions
Bottom Line Up Front Virtually every sector of Iran’s civilian economy is now subject to U.S. secondary sanctions, rendering additional sanctions progressively less significant. […] More