Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 was a shock to the Middle East, with the Gulf states aligning with the US, and Iran cultivating a “Shia Crescent” in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Dina Esfandiary joins ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El to guide us through the historical and geographic complexities of Iranian-American hostilities.
The fall of the Assad government was a serious blow to Moscow’s image in the MENA region and on the international stage. It was a reality check for those who believed the Kremlin’s support could be the key to political survival. However, Nikolay Kozhanov argues that Assad’s fall is unlikely to be a turning point in Russia’s presence in the broader Middle East. He notes that Russia has worked to diversify its relationships across the region since the mid-2010s, especially looking to strengthen ties in the Gulf.
Last weekend, President Bashar al Assad of Syria, the cruel and brutal head of a corrupt dynasty that had ruled Syria for over half a century, fled with his family to Moscow — just two weeks after a rebel group started upon an offensive from north to south. To dissect these dramatic events, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El, is joined by Professor Hind Kabawat, a former member of the High Negotiations Committee at the Syrian peace talks in Geneva, a prominent leader of Syrian civil society, and former classmate of Bashar al Assad.
Despite diplomatic channels between Russia and Western countries narrowing in the aftermath of the invasion, in early March the US and Russia announced that they would establish a hotline to avoid miscalculation or escalation. Juliette Faure outlines key lessons from the US-Russia deconfliction measures in Syria starting in 2015.
ELN Impact Director Jane Kinninmont spoke to Terzake TV, daily Flemish current affairs-program of the public Belgian broadcaster VRT about Syria’s election and why European governments should expect the country will remain unsafe for many refugees, despite Denmark’s claim Damascus is now...
The outcome of investigations into chemical weapons use in Syria could drive another wedge between the P3 and the Assad regime’s diplomatic allies: Russia, China and Iran.