LEBANON
US-Saudi Pressure Mounts on Lebanon After Syria Sanctions Eased
Trump’s visit to the Gulf signals a shift: The US is delegating the management of Syria and Lebanon to Saudi Arabia, while linking aid to Lebanon with Hezbollah’s disarmament and regional normalization.
Lebanon Desk
16.05.2025
Lebanon’s Future After US Lifts Sanctions on Syria
Lebanon’s future is under the spotlight, amid the most recent developments, namely US President Donald Trump’s GCC tour, and the upcoming Arab Summit in Baghdad.
Lebanon Desk
15.05.2025
Monopolization and UNRWA Cuts Fuel Anger Among Palestinians
UNRWA’s service cuts and staff suspensions spark anger in Ain al-Hilweh camp, while Mahmoud Abbas pushes a disarmament agenda, bypassing Palestinian factions and fueling tensions.
Amal Khalil
15.05.2025
OPINION
PALESTINE
PA Tightens Grip on Resistance, Prisoners and Martyrs’ Families
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has made one thing clear in recent months: it is pressing ahead with the US- and Israeli-backed plan, also endorsed by regional Arab allies, to root out resistance in the West Bank, both ideologically and materially.
Palestine Desk
19.05.2025
US talks, Israel Bombs: Revised Gaza Deal, Rising Escalation
In a clear exchange of roles, the US and the Israeli entity continue to stage a performative negotiation show in Doha, which, as of last night, had not led to any serious breakthrough. While US and Israeli officials continue to make public statements
Palestine Desk
19.05.2025
From Gaza to the West Bank: Calls to Wipe Out Palestinian Towns
From the “Dahiya Doctrine” to the full-scale war of extermination unfolding in Gaza for over a year and a half, the Israeli entity continues to entrench a policy of destruction and erasure of Palestinians. This brutality, now at its most grotesque, has bec
Ahmad Al-Abed
16.05.2025
SYRIA
ISIS Expands Attacks Ahead of SDF-Damascus talks
In the first publicly announced confrontation under Syria’s transitional leadership, Syrian security forces raided an ISIS cell in Aleppo following the killing of a security officer in an earlier attack.
Syria Desk
19.05.2025
Security Zones and Power Centralization Mark Al-Sharaa's Latest Moves
The new Syrian government revealed a nationwide security plan dividing the country into five main zones, part of its broader effort to rebuild security and military institutions after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Syria Desk
19.05.2025
First Alawite Party in Syria, a Shift Toward Decentralization
Over the past century of Syrian political life, spanning the French Mandate, independence, union and separation with Egypt, and the long era of Baath Party rule, the Alawite community has never attempted to form any political party rooted in its...
Abdel Moneim Ali Issa
19.05.2025
The Leopard Dies as Syria Quietly Embraces Normalization
Syrian-Palestinian actor Adeeb Kaddoura passed away at the age of 77, his life spanning the same number of years as the Nakba. His death comes at a moment when Syria appears increasingly distanced from Palestine, with reports of Damascus moving closer to t
Marwa Jerdy
17.05.2025
Promise to Ease Sanctions Triggers Cautious Optimism in Syria
US President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Syria has unleashed a wave of cautious optimism, economic anticipation, and political uncertainty, especially in northeastern Syria under the SDF administration.
Syria Desk
15.05.2025
PKK Dissolves, SDF Faces Pressure from Türkiye and Syria
The PKK’s dissolution places the Syrian Democratic Forces in a critical position, as Damascus pushes for their disarmament and integration—moves aligned with Ankara’s demands.
Mohammed Noureddine
14.05.2025
ARAB REGION
"A Lot of It Is for Show": Trump’s Gulf Tour Met With Skepticism
Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf on his first foreign tour as US president was marked by striking contradictions on several fronts. Despite being described as an “unpredictable” president, Trump’s multi-trillion-dollar deals with Gulf leaders were not
Khodor Kharroubi
19.05.2025
Libya’s Shaky Truce Shatters as Old Conflicts Resurface
Heavy clashes broke out last Tuesday in southern Tripoli, Libya, leaving at least six civilians dead.
Mohammad Abdulkareem Ahmad
19.05.2025
Trump’s “Retreat” Tour: Reviving the “Modern Middle East” Lie
The dominant political and media discourse surrounding President Trump’s Gulf tour—punctuated by statements from both him and his hosts, massive trade deals and economic partnerships, and the lifting of sanctions, particularly on Syria—has fostered the
Walid Charara
16.05.2025
PKK Dissolves, SDF Faces Pressure from Türkiye and Syria
The PKK’s dissolution places the Syrian Democratic Forces in a critical position, as Damascus pushes for their disarmament and integration—moves aligned with Ankara’s demands.
Mohammed Noureddine
14.05.2025
WORLD
Inside NED’s Ukraine Operation: How “Revolutions” Are Engineered
Just as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) scrubbed its 2018 Lebanon funding data from its website after the October 2019 protests, it has now removed all records related to its funding in Ukraine.
Ali Hassan Mourad
19.05.2025
Cannes on Trial: What Have You Done for Fatima?
The 78th Cannes Film Festival opened under the weight of politics, as the red carpet gave way to urgent appeals for Gaza, under siege for more than 18 months, and asked questions about the role of cinema in the face of mass suffering.
Chafic Tabbara
16.05.2025
Why Israel Won’t Strike Iran’s Nuclear Program
The ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations remain the defining issue shaping the region’s trajectory. These talks unfold against a complex backdrop of both momentum and obstructions, offering opportunities and risks in equal measure.
Ali Haidar
16.05.2025
Iran–US Nuclear Talks in Oman Seen as Most Constructive Yet
Iran and the United States held a fourth round of negotiations yesterday in Muscat, the capital of Oman, widely seen as the most sensitive encounter between the two sides to date. The Iranian delegation was led by Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi,
Mohammad Khawajoui
12.05.2025