Middle Orient

Syria needs an economic reconstruction program. Desperately. Yet nearly a year after the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad, there is still no talk of putting together a comprehensive economic reconstruction plan, whether in Damascus or among the obvious international stakeholders. Without clarity and wide-based consultation on the country’s new economic …

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Following the onset of the Hezbollah–Israel war on October 8, 2023, both sides deployed drones on a variety of missions, ranging from reconnaissance and message-broadcasting to espionage and targeted killings. Israel has continued the practice since its November 27, 2024, ceasefire with Hezbollah. In many ways, South Lebanon has become …

US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said the Syrian president will formalize his country’s entry into the US-led alliance next week. Tom Barrack, the US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, told reporters on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue Conference in Bahrain today that Syrian President …

Latest Developments ‘Palestinians Should Govern Palestinians’: Turkey convened a meeting of foreign ministers of Muslim-majority countries on November 3 to discuss the future of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave, and the proposed International Stabilization Force. “Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians …

Israeli forces killed hundreds of Palestinians during a hostage rescue operation last year. Why was a US navy helicopter flying next to the hostage drop-off site shortly after the massacre? On 8 June 2024, Israeli forces killed 276 Palestinians in Gaza while rescuing four hostages: Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Almog …

Sakhr Mahmoud al-Nader, 53, treads through his backyard, his black farming boots glinting in the southern Syrian sun. Creases appear near his eyes as he speaks of his family and work, both rooted deeply in his hometown of al-Rafid, a village in the country’s Quneitra Governorate. “In the war of …

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Since the publication of U.S. President Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and begin a ceasefire, the Egyptian press has published many articles critical of Hamas. The articles urged the organization to take this opportunity to give up its weapons, end its armed struggle and transform into a …

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues his campaign to expand Turkey’s influence across the Middle East. Last week, he wrapped up a rapid tour of Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman, aiming to secure trade, investment, energy, and defense deals. But beyond commercial agreements, Erdogan’s top priority was to rally Arab backing for …