With rival forces openly warring in northeast Syria, the long-deferred challenges of identifying, securing, and repatriating IS detainees have come to a head, forcing Washington to prioritize several urgent actions and put more pressure on its partners. Almost overnight, the map of Syria has changed again as stalled talks between …

Three experts discuss the rapidly changing situation in Iran, including the status of opposition elements on the ground, the U.S. interests at play in the crisis, and Washington’s policy options for bolstering both. On January 14, The Washington Institute held a virtual Policy Forum with Holly Dagres, Michael Eisenstadt, and …

Damascus, Syria – Since last July, the question of Syria’s Suweida province has entered a new phase. There is no longer talk of negotiations with the Damascus government, nor plans for the surrender of weapons. Instead, the dominant theme among some of the province’s leaders has become secession from Syria …

US President Donald Trump has faced mounting pressure to respond militarily to Iran’s crackdown on protesters across the country. Although Trump has, for the moment, refrained from authorising a strike, a military operation against Iran remains a distinct possibility. US officials indicate that another critical decision point may arise in …

Kosovo Bulgaria and Turkey, along with representatives of other countries, joined US President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Davos, Switzerland, at the signing ceremony of the Board of Peace Charter, creating a new international body supposedly aimed at resolving conflicts around the world. Trump, who was presented as the chairman …

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban this week joined Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative as one of only two EU leaders to do so (alongside Bulgaria). Orban, who has stayed away from the World Economic Forum in Davos in recent years, traveled to Switzerland just to meet Trump and to visibly …

Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus has decreased in recent years. Well beyond Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and long-term trends, two factors in particular help understanding why things have changed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Azerbaijan’s war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the authoritarian turn in Georgia have all contributed to …

Dr. Youssef Ibrahim Saloum, an expert on jihadist groups, told TML that many Iraqis may see the move as shifting a security burden from one arena to another without addressing its root causes US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Wednesday the launch of an operation to transfer thousands of detainees affiliated …

An investigation into corruption at the Ukrainian state-owned company Energoatom reveals several links to Slovakia. According to the findings of the Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak (ICJK), in cooperation with Radio Free Europe’s project Schemes, based in Kyiv, individuals linked to the Midas case did business in Slovakia, owned companies …

For the past five years, Andres Vosman was responsible for analyzing intelligence on Russia at Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (EFIS), until his appointment as ambassador to Israel in August. He gave his first comprehensive interview to Estonian investigative journalist Holger Roonemaa. The interview took place just days before the US …