By Seth J. Frantzman On Thursday, Iran, Russia and Turkey signed a memorandum on the creation of “de-escalation” zones in Syria. The agreement represents a new phase in the six-year-old Syrian civil war. If the…
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By Manish Rai Iran Presidential elections are scheduled to be held next month. It will be the twelfth presidential elections since 1979 Islamic revolution. Local elections will be held alongside of this election. Pundits, the…
By Clément Therme Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, will meet from March 27 to 29. According to the Tehran Times, both sides are “preparing more than 10 documents for signing”…
By Dylan Collins Rebel divisions in Idlib threaten to further weaken an already fragile opposition in northern Syria, analysts have said, ripping two ostensible allies apart and throwing into question the direction and shape of…
By Mona Alami The capture of Aleppo by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia and Hezbollah, has given a boost to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Shiite movement’s deepening involvement in the Syrian war since 2013 had led to a…
By Noam Raydan and Nour Alakraa Islamic State forces cut in half the last Syrian government enclave in an oil-rich eastern province, pro-government media and opposition activists said Tuesday, putting new pressure on the regime…
By DAVID W. LESCH and JAMES GELVIN Now that forces supporting the Syrian government have completed the takeover of Aleppo, and Russia, Turkey and Iran have negotiated a tenuous cease-fire, it is more than likely…
By Dexter Filkins Following the New Year’s Eve attack in Istanbul, democracy in Turkey is likely to enter a death spiral. The issue isn’t the attack itself, terrible as it was. On New Year’s Eve,…
By John Bell It is safe to say that, until recently, the debate over Syria’s political future came down to one thing: the fate of President Bashar al-Assad. With his victory in Aleppo, and the…
By Patrick Cockburn The new ceasefire in Syria will not mean an end to the shooting, but it marks a crucial development in the five-and-a-half year long civil war. It will not stop the killing…
