Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are preparing another military intervention in northern...
In early November, the electoral authority in Algeria announced the five candidates (Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Ali Benflis, Azzedine Mihoubi, Abdelkader Bengrine...
Overshadowed by the developments along the Turkish-Syrian border, Idlib, and the on-going uncertainty around the United States’ withdrawal from Syria,...
Last Wednesday, Turkey began a much-anticipated military operation in north-eastern Syria aimed at removing the predominantly Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces...
On Wednesday 15th May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, announced the formation of a working group...
On Friday 10th August, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced the final results of the parliamentary elections following a manual...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | July #1 2022
The first instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for July 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | June #2 2022
The second instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for June 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
Turkey’s Biggest Gamble Yet in Syria: How Safe is the Proposed “Safe Zone”?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are preparing another military intervention in northern...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | June #1 2022
The first instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for June 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
Where is the Sinai Peninsula Insurgency in Egypt Heading?
Egypt has seen a recent uptick in terrorist attacks over the course of the past month. Two attacks on May...
Monkeypox: The New Crisis in the Far-Right’s Public Health Playbook
Far-right groups in Western Europe and North America have latched onto the recent global outbreak of monkeypox. Some of the...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | May #2 2022
The second instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for May 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
Lebanon Elections: Pro-Hezbollah Bloc Loses Majority as Independents Make Big Gains
On 15 May 2020, Lebanon held its long-awaited general elections. The elections were the first to be carried out since...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | May #1 2022
The first instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for May 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
Are Tensions in Syria’s Suweida Reaching a Breaking Point?
In Syria’s Druze-majority province of Suweida, there are renewed tensions between local factions and the central government in Damascus. Although...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | April #2 2022
The second instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for April 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | April #1 2022
The first instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for April 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
US Priorities On Display as Blinken Visits Morocco And Algeria
This week, the United States’ Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, visited the North African countries of Morocco and Algeria, following...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | March #2 2022
The second instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for March 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
The Islamic State Selects a New Leader: Does it Matter?
On March 11th, the Islamic State (IS) announced the selection of a new leader in an audio statement, confirming that...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | March #1 2022
The first instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for March 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict: Impacts on the Middle East and North Africa
The eruption of the war between Ukraine and Russia has caught the international community unaware. Although tensions in the region...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | February#2 2022
The first instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for February 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | February#1 2022
The first instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for February 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
The Death of Al-Qurayshi: Cutting the head of a Snake or a Hydra?
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the most recent leader, or “caliph”, of the Islamic State (IS), died on 3rd February 2022....
War, Drugs & Porous Borders: A Recipe for Disaster in Syria?
On January 27th, 2022, the Jordanian Army announced that guards had engaged with a group of smugglers attempting to infiltrate...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | January #2 2022
The second instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for January 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA...
Keeping a Lid on Islamic State: Job Not Done Yet
On the night of Thursday January 20th, two car bombs struck the walls of the Sinaa Prison in the city...
Is the BJP Losing Control of the Seeds It Has Sown in India?
On January 17th, authorities in India charged a Hindu monk for inciting violence. The monk in question, Yati Narsinghanand Giri,...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | January #1 2022
The first instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for 2022 is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA Report...
Six Flashpoints of Violent Extremism to Watch in 2022
As we enter 2022, we are facing a world with a host of problems, new and old. The COVID-19 pandemic...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | December #2 2021
The second December instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA Report |...
Calls to Delay Libya Elections Grow Amidst Escalating Instability
There are growing calls in Libya to delay the general and presidential elections due to take place on December 24th....
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | December #1 2021
The first December instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report is now out. Click the link below: Bi-Monthly MENA Report |...
ISK Attacks Threaten Taliban Consolidation in Afghanistan
In recent weeks, the Taliban has ramped up its operations against the Islamic State – Khorasan (ISK), the Afghan franchise...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | November #2 2021
The second instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report for November is now out! In this edition, we are covering many...
Libyan Presidential Election Candidates 2021
In the run-up to Libya’s Presidential Elections, which are scheduled for 24th December 2021, we are following the progress of...
Drought in Syria Threatens the Country with Further Instability
Syria is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years. This is a warning issued by the United Nations-affiliated information service,...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | November #1 2021
Read the first instalment of our November bi-monthly MENA Report, focusing on Libya, Yemen, Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and...
Assassination Attempt on Prime Minister Kadhimi Raises the Spectre of Further Political Instability
In the early hours of November 7th, 2021, assassins targeted the residence of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, with...
Bi-Monthly MENA Report | October #2 2021
Read the second instalment of our bi-monthly MENA Report, focusing on Libya, Yemen, Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan....
MENA Geo-Political Risk Report | October 2021
Read our sample geo-political risk report from October 2021 about the key political, economic, security, and social challenges facing the...
The Taliban Faces the Task of Managing a Fractious Militant Landscape
Background Over the course of August 2021, the Taliban in Afghanistan has managed to wrestle control of almost the whole...
The British Far-Right Is Already Stoking Tensions Against Afghan Refugees
The events in Afghanistan over the course of August 2021 shocked nearly every observer. In the aftermath of the Taliban’s...
Responses to the Taliban | A Regional Overview
Read our latest brief on how countries in the region have responded to the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, and what...
Syria Daily Report – Sample
Read the latest Syria analysis in our sample Daily Report – 4 August 2021
MENA Weekly Report – Sample
Read the latest analysis on the MENA Region in our sample Weekly Report – 5-12 August 2021.
Is ISIS Taking Advantage of the Coronavirus Crisis in Northern Syria?
On Sunday (29th March), the spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mustafa Bali, announced that ISIS militants at the...
Out of The Frying Pan: Coronavirus Arrives in Syria
On Sunday, the Minister of Health of the Syrian Government, Nizar Yazji, announced that the first case of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)...
Usbat al-Tha’ireen and Coronavirus: Iraq’s Invisible Ghosts
The recent bouts of military escalation in Iraq have once again thrown the US-Iran proxy conflict into the spotlight, as...
Can Turkish-Russian Ceasefire Bring Peace to Idlib?
For much of the first two months of 2020, Idlib has witnessed a steady escalation of fighting between the Syrian...
Idlib Escalation Tests Turkish-Russian Relations
Despite diplomatic to-and-fro between Moscow and Ankara, tensions between the two countries over the situation in Idlib continue to intensify....
Coronavirus Sparks Panic In Iraq Amidst Growth In Regional Cases
Following reports last week that two people had died of Coronavirus in Iraq’s eastern neighbour, Iran, a climate of fear...
Will US-Russia Tensions in Northeast Syria Lead to Wider Escalation?
On Wednesday 12th February, a patrol of the United States-led International Coalition was involved in a brief altercation in the...
Russia Carves Up Turkey In Syria
During the late hours of 2nd February 2020, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) shelled an observation post of the Turkish...
“Million-Man March” Further Complicates al-Sadr’s Position Regarding Protests
On Friday morning (24th January), the “million-man” march, instigated by the head of the Sadrist Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, went ahead...
Muqtada’s “Million-Man” March Raises the Stakes for US Presence in Iraq
On Tuesday (14th January), the head of the Sadrist Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, called via Twitter for a “million-man” peaceful demonstration,...
Was the Islamic State’s (IS) Revenge Campaign Boom or Bust?
On 22nd December 2019, the Islamic State (IS) launched a new assassination campaign under the title “Revenge for the Killing of...
What Are The Ramifications of the Death of Qassem Soleimani?
On the early hours of Friday, the United States conducted a drone strike that killed the head of the Iranian...
Turkey and Russia Involvement in Libya Places Greater Focus on Regional Geopolitics
It has been nine months since Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), launched an all-out...
“No Elections With The Mafia”: Algerian Opposition To The Establishment
In early November, the electoral authority in Algeria announced the five candidates (Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Ali Benflis, Azzedine Mihoubi, Abdelkader Bengrine...
Between Iraq and a Hard Place: Political Elite Stand at a Paramount Crossroads
On Friday 29th November, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi announced that he would be submitting his resignation to Parliament....
Sistani and Tahrir Square: Pressure Increases on the Iraqi Government to Enact Real Reforms
Since the start of the protests on 1st October 2019, Iraq’s highest ranking Shi’a cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has become increasingly...
Shadow of a New Conflict Looms Over Daraa
Overshadowed by the developments along the Turkish-Syrian border, Idlib, and the on-going uncertainty around the United States’ withdrawal from Syria,...
“Our Revolution is Iraqi”: Protesters Seek to Cross Sectarian Lines in Iraq
As the protest movement in Iraq launched a second wave of demonstrations across Iraq on 25th October, observers witnessed a...
A Brief Overview of Protests in Lebanon and Iraq
Tens of thousands of protesters remain out on the streets of Lebanon’s largest cities as concern about the state of...
Turkish Operations In Northern Syria Add A New Dimension To The Country’s Conflict
Last Wednesday, Turkey began a much-anticipated military operation in north-eastern Syria aimed at removing the predominantly Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces...
Iraq Protests – A Timeline
On 1st October 2019, protests broke out in Iraq, with demonstrators demanding an improvement to services and an end to...
What Does Baghdadi’s Death Mean For ISIS?
On Saturday, the United States’ President, Donald Trump, announced that the leader of the Islamic State (IS), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,...
It’s A Hell Hawl: ISIS Wives in Shootout As Camp Conditions Deteriorate
Since the defeat of ISIS at the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Syria, international attention –...
Silk Road, Concrete Promises: Do China-Iraq Deals Usher in a New Era of Development?
Marking one of the most significant foreign visits in Iraq’s recent history, Prime Minister, Adil Abd al-Mahdi, travelled to China...
Between A Rock and A Hard Place: North Syria Faces New Conflict
The eastern Syrian province of Deir ez-Zour is witnessing growing tensions between the Syrian Government and the Autonomous Administration of...
Ku-wait Right There! Iraq Accuses Kuwait of Infringing Shared Maritime Borders
On Tuesday, 3rd September, the Kuwaiti news outlet, al-Rai, revealed that Iraq’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations sent a...
Turkish-US Safe Zone Agreement Gains Momentum in Northern Syria
Over the past week, forces belonging to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), a major constituent of the United States-backed...
Capta-Gone Wrong: Iraq Clamps Down on Drug Trafficking
Since the beginning of this year, the Iraqi Government has found itself struggling to manage an escalating recreational drug use...
SAA Pushes Into Idlib Amidst International Concern Over Humanitarian Impact
Over the last week, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies have continued their push in the Greater Idlib...
Iraq: The Response to Alleged Israeli Attacks Must be Calculated
Since mid-July, a series of drone strikes, allegedly conducted by Israel, have targeted the bases and weapons depots belonging to...
Astana Peace Talks Make Minor Progress as Conflict Resumes in Idlib
Last week, delegates from a number of countries, including the Syrian guarantor countries of Turkey, Russia and Iran, met in...
Security in southern Syria deteriorates following uptick in attacks
Over the past weekend, the already-tenuous security situation in Daraa and Suweida, southern Syria, has taken a turn for the...
Libya Clashes Rage On Almost 4 Months After LNA Launches Campaign on Tripoli
At the beginning of this week, forces loyal to the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) successfully repelled a...
Operation Will of Victory Continues to Root Out Remnant ISIS Cells
Last week, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) launched its latest counter-terrorism operation, named Operation Will of Victory, to root out...
Does Visit by Oman’s Foreign Minister to Syria Signal Wider Gulf Rapprochement?
Last Sunday, 7th July, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid al-Moallem, met with the Omani Foreign...
Turkish Hostilities Increase in Kurdistan Region, Kills 10 Injures 15
Earlier this week, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that Turkish operations in northern Iraq would “firmly continue”, despite the intensifying...
Iraqi Parliament Votes For 3 New Ministers Amidst Growing Discontent Towards Abd al-Mahdi’s Government
On Monday, 24th June, the Iraqi Parliament voted in new interior, defence and justice ministers, bringing an end to months of...
ISIS’ Afghanistan Branch Grows as Group is Defeated in Iraq and Syria
Over the previous two years, as ISIS has been stripped of its territory across Syria and Iraq, it has established...
Crop fires in Iraq and Syria Provoke Could Regional Crisis
ISIS insurgents operating in north-eastern Syria and northern Iraq have claimed responsibility for a series of crop fires over the...
Idlib Offensive Further Complicates Relationship Between Regional Powers
On Saturday (26th May), reports began to emerge that Turkey was sending rebel factions in Idlib a large supply of...
Iraq Seeks Intermediary Role Amidst Escalating US-Iranian Tensions
On Tuesday 21st May, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Adil Abd al-Mahdi, announced his intention for Iraq to act as an...
Syria: Regional Powers Grapple With Damascus’ Offensive In Idlib
On Wednesday 15th May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, announced the formation of a working group...
Clashes in Tripoli Continue to Intensify as UN Attempts to Reach Ceasefire
Fighting in the Libyan capital of Tripoli continues to intensify following the failed implementation of a two-hour humanitarian truce on...
As Open War Winds Down in Syria, Insurgencies Give a Taste of What is to Come
In the province of Daraa, southern Syria, a pro-Opposition insurgency has gathered momentum against its resistance to loyalist forces in...
Continued clashes Across Libya Cast Doubt Over Political Solution
On Tuesday 22nd January, militia groups loyal to the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Tarhuna-based Seventh...
Iran Aims to Increase Cooperation with Iraq Ahead of US Sanctions
Over the weekend of the 12th and 13th January and on Monday 14th, a number of high-profile officials arrived in Iraq....
Political Turmoil in Manbij Amidst US Withdrawal from Syria
Two weeks after the announcement by United States President Donald Trump of the withdrawal of US forces in Syria, the...
What is the background to the US’ withdrawal from Syria?
On Thursday 20th December United States President Donald Trump announced that he ordered the withdrawal of US troops in Syria...
US and Russia Tensions Play out in Syria’s Tanf Region
On Friday 7th December, reports emerged that Russian Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov had made an offer to the...
Mixed Reception as Astana Talks End with Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) and HTS top of the agenda
On Thursday, 29th November, representatives from Russia, Syria, Iran and Turkey met with UN Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura,...
President Barham Salih Visits Iran Despite US Pressure to Sever Ties
On Saturday 17th November the Iraqi President Barham Salih visited Tehran as part of his wider tour of the region,...
Suicide bombing in Kabul disrupts celebrations of Prophet’s birthday
The death toll of the suicide bombing at the Uranus Wedding Hall in Kabul on Tuesday has exceed 50 people,...
Hayy’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Instigates Violence in Idlib’s Demilitarisation Zone (DMZ)
On Tuesday 13th November, the Syrian Minister for National Reconciliation Affairs, Ali Haidar, released a statement declaring that the political...
Iraqi Forces Double-Down On Border Security As ISIS Threat Grows
At the beginning of this week, reports emerged that the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) assumed control of 30 fortified positions...
SDF Suffers Setback Against ISIS In Euphrates Valley
Over the weekend of the 27th and 28th October, reports emerged of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) suffering a complete...
KDP Secures Record Number of Seats in Kurdistan Regional Elections
On Sunday 21st October, the Kurdish Independent High Electoral and Referendum Commission (IHERC) officially released the results of the Kurdish...
Hayy’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Responds To Idlib De-Militarisation Zone (DMZ) Agreement
On Tuesday 16th October, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to the failure of the militant group Hayy’at Tahrir al-Sham...
Suweida Hostage Crisis Continues As Factions Exchange Blame
On Friday 5th October, a sit-in protest was organised at the Suweida Governorate Building in response to the third recent...
Adil Abd al-Mahdi Initiates Government Formation Process
Last week, on Tuesday 2nd October, Iraqi lawmakers elected the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan nominee, Barham Salih, as the new President...
Confusion Over Demilitarisation Zone (DMZ) Leads Some Syrian Rebel Groups to Reject Deal
On Monday 17th September, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the formation of a 15...
Battle for Iraqi Presidency Reignites Tensions Between Kurdish Parties
On Wednesday, 19th September, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) announced that it has nominated Barham Salih for Iraq’s presidency. The...
Clashes Renew in Libya’s Capital, Tripoli, Breaking UN-Brokered Ceasefire
In Libya’s capital city, Tripoli, renewed clashes broke out on Tuesday between rival militia groups, violating a UN-imposed ceasefire that...
Abadi’s Mandate For Second Term Under Threat
Following the chaos in Basra last week, both the Sa’iroun Alliance, which has been allied to Abadi’s Nasr Coalition, and...
Protests in Qamishli Break out Following Closure of Private Christian Schools
While Idlib remains the focus of attention in northern Syria, tensions have been brewing in the north-eastern Syrian city of...
Contaminated Water in Basra Risks Thousands of Lives
On Monday 27th of August, Basra’s Health Department announced that more than 70% of Basra districts are receiving unpurified drinking...
Political Parties Rush to Create the Largest Bloc Before Parliament Convenes
On Sunday 19th of August, the Iraqi Supreme Court ratified the results of Iraq’s parliamentary elections. The results were sent by...
The Situation in Greater Idlib Prior to the Operations
After Eastern Ghouta and Daraa were taken by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) earlier this year, the Syrian Government has...
IHEC Announces Final Results For May Elections
On Friday 10th August, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced the final results of the parliamentary elections following a manual...
Suweida Shaken by ISIS Attack
On the morning of Wednesday, July 25th, a series of suicide bombings targeted the districts of Maslakh and Souk districts...
Amidst Political Uncertainty Iraqis Protest for Good Governance
On Sunday the 8th of July, the southern oil-rich province of Basra witnessed mass demonstrations, with protestors demanding jobs, electricity,...
Syrian Government and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) speed up negotiations for northern Syria
While southern Syria remains a current focus of attention in light of the Syrian Government’s ongoing offensive across Daraa Province,...
Six Iraqis Kidnapped on Baghdad-Kirkuk Road
In a worrying development, the Islamic State (IS) released a video saying that the group will execute six Iraqi men...
Airstrike Kills Pro-Government Fighters Near Albu Kamal On Iraqi-Syrian Border
On 17th June, 2018, 10pm local time, an airstrike from an unidentified aircraft struck the village of Harri, southeast of the...
Turkish-US Contestation Over Manbij Rises
For the past few weeks tensions have risen between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish forces concerning the contested...
Iraq’s Electoral Commission cancels the result of 1021 voting stations
The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has cancelled the results of 1021 electoral stations in the provinces of Erbil,...
Ministry of Youth and Sports leading charge to restore sporting events to Iraq
After failing to reach the 1994 FIFA World Cup Finals, the Iraqi national football team were summoned to a meeting...
Chaos in Parliament Continues to Cause Delays to Cabinet Formation in Iraq
On Tuesday, 4th December, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi was unable to pass any of his candidates for the eight remaining...