The announcement of a financial settlement with Syrian businessman Mohammad Hamsho, who is linked to the Assad regime, sparked anger among supporters of the Syrian revolution, amid a lack of details about the settlement and what Hamsho provided in return. A senior source at Syria’s National Commission for Combating Illicit …

In May 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced that it would set in motion a process of dissolution. This historic disbandment was given further legitimacy when disarmament commenced in July, followed by a withdrawal of forces in October. The international response to the announcement has been overwhelmingly positive. While …

The Hungarian PM’s cautious response to a new law targeting Slovakia’s ethnic-Hungarian minority is creating credibility issues for his Fidesz party on both sides of the border and perhaps opening up an opportunity for Hungary’s extreme-right to benefit. “We do not accept collective guilt, either in our own country or …

Israel’s approval of the delayed export agreement is a welcome development, but U.S. officials should view it as the start, not the end, of efforts to ease tensions between two key peace partners. On December 17, Israel announced the largest natural gas deal in its history—a $35 billion agreement to …

Mass displacement, settler violence, and Israeli military killings have surged across the West Bank, driven by an unbridled campaign to seize Palestinian land In Burqin, a hillside village overlooking Jenin in the northern West Bank, the Abdullah family mourns a heavy loss. A large, framed picture of their son, Montasser …

Nightly protests continued across several Iranian cities as authorities reported no official toll, while Donald Trump warned Tehran against using force. Nightly protests continued across several Iranian cities on Sunday, while US President Donald Trump renewed warnings against the use of force and Iranian officials delivered mixed messages on how …

Iraqi militias refuse to disarm following the top judge’s assertion that there is no justification for weapons outside state control. Iran-aligned Iraqi armed factions have openly rejected demands to surrender their weapons to state control, directly challenging the authority of Iraq’s top judge and prime minister. This highlights divisions within …

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The universities, historically the bastions of anti-monarchist Marxism, are now echoing with chants of “Down with the three corrupts! Mullah, leftist, Mujahid.” For a week, the Islamic Republic has tried to tell itself, and the world, that the protests in Iran are merely about the price of the dollar. They …

The Lebanese Army announced the arrest of nine Lebanese nationals and 35 Syrians in the districts of Akkar, Tripoli, Batroun, Baalbek, and Hermel, on charges of “committing various crimes, including opening fire, possessing weapons, using drugs, smuggling people, and illegal roaming.” In a statement published on its account on X …