Destabilising Lebanon will only strengthen Hezbollah
Europeans should work to blunt the impact of Saudi Arabia’s strategy and prevent dangerous confrontation
Julien Barnes-Dacey
US must avoid a war with Iran in eastern Syria
Some in Washington hope the US can cut off Iran’s regional influence in eastern Syria, but that’s a recipe for endless war
Qatar crisis widening regional fault lines
The situation in Qatar is exacerbating intra-Sunni fractures just as tensions with Iran heat up
Trump’s Saudi speech hints at new risks
Trump’s speech in Saudi Arabia marked a shift in US positioning that is likely to feed rather than temper conflict conditions in the region
Trump and Syria: the entanglement begins?
Much of the Syrian opposition and its regional backers will view US strikes as the thin end of the wedge
Time to play the money card in Syria
Despite understandable hesitation, European leaders should increase stabilisation support for Syria, and accept that assistance can no longer be tied to an unattainable transition
Six problems with Trump’s anti-ISIS strategy
The emerging picture is of an administration single-mindedly focused on inflicting military defeats, at the expense of the more complicated political dimensions needed to underpin sustainable solutions
Russia’s Syria Quandary
The Astana process may represent a moment of new Russian seriousness
The first Trump test: European policy and the Siege of Aleppo
There is no longer any real hope of deposing Assad. Europe must instead work towards an ugly deal that salvages something for the Syrian people.
Turkey joins the fray: What the Turkish invasion means for the Syrian civil war
The intervention signals an unexpected convergence of a significant number of actors who have found common cause in working against the Kurds