An Insider’s Attempt at Syrian–Israeli Peace

June 30, 2022 / Q & A

Frederic Hof discusses a lesser-known track in the Arab-Israeli peace process: a Syrian-Israeli mediation that came closer to a deal than expected

Why the Phrase “Arab Spring” Should be Retired

February 4, 2021 / Essays

It’s time to stop using a Western-based concept ten years on from the events that began the Arab Uprisings.

The Disrupting Stabilizer

Summer 2020 / Essays

How Russia’s military, diplomatic, and economic roles in the Mediterranean have developed in recent years

The Neo-Ballistic Middle East

Fall 2019 / Essays

Over the past forty years, Iran has written the book on Lebanization and using non-state actors in interstate warfare

In Syria, Reconstruction Brings Little Hope for Peace

Summer 2019 / Essays

While maintaining the status quo for the time being might seem the easiest option, it is also the worst possible one

End of War, but Not of Conflict

Summer 2019 / Essays

State (re)building in war-torn countries can only happen in a conducive political process on all levels ranging from the local to the international, which is exactly what seems lacking in MENA

A Win-Win for Iran and the Region

Spring 2019 / Essays

Iran’s role in the “end-state diplomatic model” of conflict resolution and crisis management in the Middle East

A Different Kind of Rationality

April 9, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

Iran continues its military presence in Syria even after the fight is won—a move which is underpinned by the Islamic Republic’s core deterrence and defense foreign policy against possible Israeli or US military action.

Syria and Regional Food Security

March 16, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

Syria and its neighbors all have a vested interest in resuming agricultural trade to increase food security across the region.

Russia’s Eye on Syrian Reconstruction

March 7, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

Russia is primed to benefit economically from an influx of foreign investment in Syria, but an emerging rivalry with China and Iran for contracts could erode its long-term leverage.

Preserving Kurdish Autonomy

February 15, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

Divisions among the states vested in Syria are opening possibilities for Syria’s Kurds to secure greater protection for their autonomy.

Civil Society for the Displaced

January 29, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

To meet the challenges of massive human displacement in the Middle East and North Africa, civil society actors need a common platform where they can advocate. The MENA Civil Society Network for Displacement or CSND sets out to be that.

Turkey’s Gradual Efforts to Professionalize Syrian Allies

December 14, 2018 / Tahrir Forum

Instead of putting its full strength behind unifying Syrian rebel groups, Ankara is slowly supporting that process without disturbing the status quo.

The Inflection Point

Fall 2018 / Essays

Reduced American focus on the Middle East going forward is just one of many changes with which Arab leaders will have to grapple in the coming years, and it is disorienting

Russia, Turkey, and the Fate of Idlib

September 24, 2018 / Tahrir Forum

In Idlib, Turkey could deter Russian airstrikes and ensure the region remains out of the Syrian regime’s control by going after extremist groups.

Jordan at the Crossroads

July 7, 2018 / Tahrir Forum

Jordan’s economic, demographic and geographic characteristics have left the country vulnerable to mass protests and external pressure that can only be overcome by a comprehensive reform program.

Battling for Southwestern Syria

June 14, 2018 / Tahrir Forum

While Assad and his supporters seem close to reconquering Southwestern Syria, stability is far from assured.

Syria Podcast, Part 2

May 27, 2018 / Tahrir Forum

Nader Hashemi, Middle East and Syria expert, speaks with the Cairo Review’s Senior Editor Sean David Hobbs.

UN Deputy Envoy for Syria: “It’s an Emotional Rollercoaster”

March 22, 2018 / Q & A

As the fighting in Syria enters its eighth year, the United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy speaks about efforts to end the conflict.

The Meaning of Eastern Ghouta and Assad’s “Victory”

March 6, 2018 / Tahrir Forum

The Assad regime has won the war; it cannot, however, win the peace.

Lessons of History, Old and New

November 13, 2017 / Tahrir Forum

Rebuilding Iraq and Syria, and addressing separatist movements, require learning from the mistakes of a century’s misrule.

Six Reasons Why You Are Confused about Syria

September 8, 2017 / Tahrir Forum

The historical changes behind the country’s complicated civil war.

After Raqqa’s Fall

July 31, 2017 / Tahrir Forum

The Syrian Al-Assad regime’s survival owes a lot to its foreign patrons, as well as U.S. incompetence.

Scramble for Syria

Summer 2017 / Essays

Iran’s support for the Al-Assad regime in Damascus has long provided it with a foothold in Lebanon, Palestine, and the rest of the region. But with its deepening role in the Syrian civil war, Tehran is losing hearts and minds in the Arab World.

Michel Aoun’s Double Game

June 21, 2017 / Tahrir Forum

Lebanon’s president navigates the treacherous waters of the cold war between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Five Ghosts That Haunt the Arab World

May 11, 2017 / Tahrir Forum

To understand the messy state of the Middle East today, look toward its past.

Iran Is a Paper Tiger

May 8, 2017 / Tahrir Forum

From Riyadh to Washington, international leaders overestimate the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Trump Rushes into Raqqa

March 15, 2017 / Tahrir Forum

America wades deeper into the quagmire of Syria’s civil war.

Picking Up the Middle East Pieces

Winter 2017 / Essays

Donald Trump’s tough talk of defeating Islamic terrorists, ripping up the Iran nuclear deal, and barring Muslims from entering the U.S. suggests a sharp pivot in Middle East policy, but could be surprising continuity with Barack Obama’s approach to the region.

The Fall of Aleppo

December 19, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

Syrian rebels are unlikely to rebound from defeat anytime soon, while Iran and Russia stand to gain immensely.

Aleppo Shakes Arab World’s Foundations

December 16, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

Western impotence in Aleppo and the Syrian civil war, and the approaching victory of the Russian-Iranian alliance, is another sign of sweeping changes in the region’s political order.

Regional Conflicts Bleed Into Yemen’s War

October 20, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

Along with Saudi Arabia and Iran, Hezbollah and the U.S. risk being pulled further into Yemen’s civil war.

Aleppo Captures the Generational Battle of the Whole Arab World

August 11, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

The outcome of military and political developments in Aleppo in the coming months will clarify critical dimensions of the Syria conflict that also reverberate widely across the region.

Syria Becomes Ever More Complicated

July 24, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran effectively have to be seen as a single geo-strategic arena in which hundreds of local and national actors engage one another—and many have links to other regional players and global powers.

The Fantasy of Disengagement

July 19, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

President Barack Obama needs to square up with the realities of the Middle East.

Syria’s Weaponized Humanitarian Space

July 14, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

Warring parties in Syria have weaponized aid by granting or withholding humanitarian access, complicating the work of aid organizations.

Ten Observations on the Wars in Syria

April 23, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

The scale, intensity, and persistence of the last five years of nonstop and often barbaric violence reflect the fact that Syria today, as in the past four millennia at least, continues to be a central pivot in the geopolitics of the Middle East and its neighbors.

Endgame Strategies in Syria

April 21, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

The Syrian conflict has been alternately exploited and ignored long enough. The world can no longer afford to look the other way.

Russia, Palmyra, and the Syrian Kaleidoscope

April 4, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

Long-term stability in Syria requires a process of national self-determination that allows citizens to freely express how they wish to configure their sovereignty and be governed.

The Threat and Opportunity of Kurds in Syria

April 2, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

This is the moment to shed the ghosts of 1916 by affirming citizen rights in Arab lands, not to perpetuate them by bowing to the dictates of failed authoritarian powers.

Glimpses into the Layers of War in Syria

March 19, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

The slow, steady, numbing dehumanization of young Syrians measured in hundreds of thousands of lives is mirrored in similar trends in other countries at war in the Arab region.

Hezbollah Is Learning Russian

February 28, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

Working side-by-side with Russian officers in Syria is sure to improve Hezbollah’s offensive fighting capabilities.

Complexities and Perplexities in the Arab World

February 13, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

That it is Russia and the United States who are signaling future developments in Syria is not a good sign of a stable situation to come.

Why Syria Peace Talks Are Doomed

February 7, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

The Damascus regime’s military offensive could ruin already slim chances for a negotiated peace in Syria. A divided opposition and rival great powers further complicate a tricky diplomatic initiative.

Obama’s Tarnished Legacy in the Middle East

Winter 2016 / Essays

President Barack Obama had to deal with a dysfunctional state system and fraying civil societies, as well as blowback from George W. Bush’s invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet his own actions and inactions throughout two terms of office contributed significantly to the great unraveling of the Middle East.