Iran toys with fostering an armed insurgency in Syria
By James M. Dorsey Indications that Iran may not accept Bashar al-Assad’s downfall lying down raise the spectre of renewed sectarian strife that could not only destabilise Syria but also…
Syria- What hope of a democratic future?
Hope of a democratic future? Published in the Jerusalem Post, 23 December 2024 Abu Mohammed al-Julani surely never envisaged the rapidity with which the Assad…
Saudi Arabia balances ‘tolerance’ with support for ultra-conservatives in conflict zones
By James M. Dorsey Once viewed as a breeder of religious extremism, Saudi Arabia earned brownie points as the international community sighed a sigh of relief when Mohammed bin Salman,…
Israel pushes for greater cooperation with the US in targeting Iran
By James M. Dorsey With Iran’s Axis of Resistance in shambles, Israel and its supporters in the United States are lobbying for greater US-Israeli cooperation in targeting the Islamic Republic’s…
Israel’s Middle East war: Yemen is definitely next, maybe Iran too
By James M. Dorsey Much like Hezbollah miscalculated with its 15-month-long war of attrition against Israel, Yemen’s Houthi rebels risk being the next target in Israel’s campaign to rewrite the…
Turkey dreams of a neo-Ottoman Middle East
By James M. Dorsey Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s fall has seemingly turbocharged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman dreams. Please read further, listen to a podcast, or watch the video…
A Tale of Three Occupations
By James M. Dorsey Syria tells the story of not one but three occupations. It also tells the story of a region in which states cynically trample over ethnic groups’…
Iran and the ceasefire
Did Iran oppose or approve of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, agreed on November 26 and implemented in the early hours of the following day? Opinion is divided, views differing according to the holder’s perception…
A US-Israeli masterclass in how to discourage change in Syria
By James M. Dorsey US and Israeli responses to President Bashar al-Assad’s fall offer a masterclass on how to discourage change in Syria. Rather than test and encourage Syria’s new…
Syria may be tired of war, but war may not be tired of Syria
By James M. Dorsey Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, aka Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, appears to be a man who picks his battles. Speaking this week at a Damascus mosque, Mr.…