Iran

Toplines The Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) may agree to extend the US-mediated ceasefire, according to Kurdish sources and mediators. The Syrian government and SDF agreed to a ceasefire on January 20 that gave SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi four days to secure other SDF leaders’ agreement to …

Toplines The Syrian government surrounded Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters in Kobani, likely as the first part of a multi-stage operation to reduce the SDF forces there. Civilians have fled to Kobani as fighting approached their villages south of Kobani, leading to a larger than standard population there.[1] Civilians in …

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 …

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 …

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Toplines Syrian President Ahmed al Shara likely decided to temporarily halt the Syrian government offensive on Syrian Democratic Forces-held (SDF) territory in northeastern Syria after a phone call with US President Donald Trump on January 19.[1] Shara and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi failed on January 19 to finalize a ceasefire …

Protesters who took to the streets in Iran say the media is wrongly portraying monarchists as leading the uprising. A week after Iranian security forces violently crushed the latest anti-regime protests, the streets are quiet for now, but a battle over who speaks for the uprising has erupted. With Iran …

As deadly riots burn Iranian cities, Western media ignores the shocking wave of violence, turning instead to US government-funded NGOs for data. The one-sided portrayal has helped push Trump to the brink of authorizing renewed US attacks. Western media has ignored a growing trove of video evidence showing terrorist tactics …

Key Takeaways SDF Collapse and Risks for the US Counter-ISIS Mission: The United States’ framework for sustaining success against the Islamic State in Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) in northeastern Syria is collapsing. The risk that fighting in the northeast will significantly imperil the US mission to combat ISIS remains …