The rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia has for decades roiled the Middle East with sectarian conflict, instability and war. Thinking about how the region would look if these two powerhouses normalized relations is intriguing….
Category: The Central Asia, Middle East, and North Africa Region
It was May 2017. The Saudis were growing increasingly nervous. For more than two years they had been relying heavily on U.S. military support and bombs to defeat Houthi rebels in Yemen. Now, the Senate…
The tragic episode that caused the death of 15 Russian air force personnel has had immediate repercussions on the situation in Syria and the Middle East. On September 24, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed allies and opponents that…
I am Francis Boyle, Professor of Law here at the College of Law. I’m the Senior Professor at the College of Law. I’ve taught here 41 years in a row without a break. I know…
It’s deja-vu all over again in Syria, with the U.S. on the verge of a confrontation with Russia as Donald Trump faces his biggest decision yet as president, comments Ray McGovern. The New York Times,…
Let’s assume for a minute—and it’s a perfectly reasonable assumption under the circumstances—that President Trump’s political problems and popularity only get worse over the next months, both before and after the elections. What with anonymous…
Today the United States officially announced a new policy in its war on Syria. It is an equivalent to the three step business plan (vid) of the underpants gnomes: The new U.S. plan is to: 1. keep north-east Syria…
Fighters were armed and paid to keep Iranian-linked forces away from Israel’s border. Israel secretly armed and funded at least 12 rebel groups in southern Syria that helped prevent Iran-backed fighters and militants of the…
Initiative The successive steps of Syrian Arab Army both in Quneitra and As-Suwayda provinces as well as the return of the UN peacekeeper forces to the frontier between Syria and Israeli-occupied Golan Heights gave…
The United States has raised tensions further amid Syria’s ongoing conflict. It has issued a threat in the form of a “warning” against Damascus against retaking the northern region of Idlib. More specifically, the US…