Middle Orient

Iraq’s Defence Minister, Thabit al-Abbasi, has revealed that he received an official notification from his American counterpart, Pete Hegseth, concerning imminent military operations to be conducted within Syrian territory. The message was unequivocal: any involvement by “armed Iraqi militias” in these operations would carry serious consequences. No further details were …

Iran Update, November 3, 2025Toplines Venezuela recently requested military equipment, including drones, from Iran amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and the United States, according to internal US government documents obtained by The Washington Post.[1] It is unclear if Iran is willing and able to export drones and other military equipment …

The Impact of Conflict on Water Infrastructure in Lebanon PUBLIC1Download

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This is the first entry in a three-part blog series discussing the evolution of al-Qassam Brigades’ content, dissemination strategies, and the relevant policy implications for combating terrorist content online.Al-Qassam Brigades Propaganda Content: Evolution Since October 7 Two years ago this week, al-Qassam Brigades (AQB), the military wing of Hamas, led …

Al-Qassam Brigades Propaganda: Evolution Since October 7 — Part 2 Dissemination The al-Qassam Brigades (AQB) have long maintained an effective online propaganda apparatus. Following crackdowns on mainstream platforms like Twitter (X), Facebook, and YouTube, the group pivoted to self-hosted websites (Figure 1), dedicated apps (Figure 2), and a network of …

Has Donald Trump’s sharp rebuke of Israel in his October 23 Time Magazine interview fundamentally changed the calculus in the Middle East? His comments immediately sparked two opposing views: for some, his position represents the clear demarcation of a genuine shift in US foreign policy; for others, it is nothing …

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 …