Syria and the Levant

Short animation showing the impact of normalizing trade relations between the Syrian regime and Arab countries both on the regime and Syrian households.

Short animation explaining the socio-economic impact of conflict on local power dynamics in coastal Syria, especially in Tartous and Lattakia.

Explaining Lebanon’s political system, the influence of religion, armed groups such as Hezbollah, and corruption in the state.

Tel Aviv may believe now is the time to neutralize all immediate threats to its border, as a preliminary to long-sought strikes on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Visiting Israel and the Lebanon border on Monday, I am struck by how far off peace seems, and how dangerous the confrontation with Hezbollah remains a year after 7 October.

Despite escalations, a full-blown conflict would be bad for both sides. But all this brinkmanship is diverting attention from Palestine.

But they move Israel and the ‘axis of resistance’ closer to a wider war – a conflict that each side knows it cannot win.

Israel’s attack signalled a shift in its strategy towards Iran. Tehran’s response and the US promise of ‘ironclad’ support for Israel risks escalation of this transnational conflict.

This paper explores how the remote border district of Sinjar in Iraq became a transnational conflict hub that threatens wider security in the Middle East.

Hezbollah knows escalation would hurt Iran and erode its support in Lebanon, forcing it to prioritize survival over any effort to exploit the situation.

The risk of regional escalation means that the Gulf Arab states should do more to push for a ceasefire, not only for humanitarian reasons, but for their economic self-interest.

Calls for a ceasefire have yet to yield results. Those in the region must prioritize a political settlement.

The US must do everything it can to prevent another devastating war.

After Opec cut oil production on October 17, 1973, millions were displaced from Afghanistan and Syria, transforming global politics, argues Randall Hansen.

A historic opportunity exists to promote multilateral cooperation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, building on recent political de-escalation. With the right design, a new forum could succeed where previous initiatives have failed.

Political settlements in Iraq, Lebanon and Libya have long relied on deals between elites to ensure ‘stability’, but the resulting power-sharing systems fuel corruption and have led to disastrous governance failings. To improve the daily lives of citizens under these settlements, international policymakers must focus on increasing the accountability of elites.

As dust storms in the Middle East become increasingly frequent and intense, adversaries must cooperate to address the causes.

Uganda is among the latest countries to turn up the legal temperature on its LGBTQ+ populations. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa offer lessons on how to hold the ground on sexual health and rights.

Episode 27 of our weekly podcast examines the Syrian regime with signs that governments in the Middle East are prepared to engage with Bashar al-Assad again.

The future of the region is still up for grabs. It will be up to those who believe in democracy and progress to seize it.

Countries across the Middle East have engaged in an unprecedented pattern of reconciliation to protect their interests amid fluctuations in the international order. But without deliberate international support, these new ties can easily unravel.

Public facilities are key to managing human displacement crises. With strained resources, sustainable upgrades to buildings can enable states to meet multiple welfare objectives.

The conflict supply chain of wheat from Ukraine and Russia to Syria highlights interlinkages between the conflicts and the role of sanctions in driving cooperation.

With consistent and long-term support from the US, the Abraham Accords could have a transformative impact on Middle East economic cooperation and regional security.

Mines, the fragments of conflict and war, threaten civilians long after the guns and bombs have fallen silent. Zeina Saleh, who works to clear minefields in Lebanon, speaks to Gitika Bhardwaj for International Women’s Day as part of a series exploring women in international affairs.

Episode 15 of our weekly podcast examines the far-reaching consequences of the earthquakes which struck Turkey and Syria on the region’s fragile geopolitics.

Help for Syrians following the devastating earthquakes is being hampered by the Assad regime’s control over aid flows and a slow-moving United Nations.

Even amid an outpouring of international support, the catastrophe is caught up in the politics of the Syria war with political leaders aiming for legitimacy.

Episode eight of our new weekly podcast reflects on almost one year of war in Ukraine, and 12 years of war in Syria.

Examining the crossover between water security and climate change with the next two COPs taking place in regions with a history of being water stressed.

Any policy designed to counter the growing Captagon trade must take into account its impact on local border communities.

Turkey benefits from NATO’s Strategic Concept and is in a celebratory mood over a new deal with Sweden and Finland. But interpretation is the key to success.

Poor infrastructure and even poorer governance is a critical part of the story of healthcare in Iraq, but so too is the complex issue of the movement and supply of medicines.