The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Opinion | The Middle East’s moment of opportunity is slipping away Hard-won openings for change will close without more focus and follow-up from the U.S.

Robert Satloff told David Ignatius that Israel-Lebanon peace talks are now “a real opportunity.”

The New Syria, Year Two: Rebuilding Institutions and Governance Join us for an expert conversation examining the state of play in Syria one year after the fall of the Assad regime in 2024. Watch a live webcast of this event starting at 12:00 noon EST (1700 GMT) on...

📺WEBCAST TODAY: Join us at 12pm ET for a discussion with Amb. James Jeffrey and @azelin.bsky.social about Syria's new institutions and governance efforts. @devorahmargolin.bsky.social will moderate the event.

Institutions and Governance in the New Syria: Continuity and Change from the Idlib Model The transitional leadership can claim several successes, but a shadow government, opaque economic practices, and uneven accountability for former regime crimes could undermine progress.

Syria’s ultimate trajectory remains an open question. In a timely report, @azelin.bsky.social sheds light on the country's new institutions and governance apparatus, an essential topic given the corruption and unaccountability of the Assad era.

A Year Later, Lebanon Still Won’t Stand Up to Hezbollah Although Washington should keep pressing the Lebanese government to seize weapons and prosecute political assassins, the chances of Beirut actually confronting the militia appear increasingly slim.

"The Lebanese government’s continued extreme deference to Hezbollah suggests a Beirut-based variant of the Stockholm Syndrome," writes David Schenker in Asharq al-Awsat.

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📢JOB ALERT!

We are seeking a media relations associate to manage our successful outreach program to the news media.

Learn more ⬇️

Salvaging the Lebanon Ceasefire Amid Looming Deadlines and Threats of War Washington and its allies are waiting for Beirut to acknowledge the difficult but unavoidable truth: that war will resume unless serious action is taken to target all the pillars of Hezbollah’s power,...

Although major military operations between Israel and Hezbollah ended in November 2024, the ceasefire agreement they reached remains tenuous. Hanin Ghaddar and Assaf Orion explain that Washington should work on two tracks prevent the ceasefire from collapsing.

Khomeini Promised Free Water. Iran Is Running Out of It. Reservoirs are drying up due to systemic mismanagement and other problems, and regime officials do not appear willing or able to undertake the necessary fixes.

Iran entered its sixth consecutive year of drought. As @hdagres.bsky.social notes in @postopinions.bsky.social, this "needless crisis" is another product of the Islamic Republic’s systemic mismanagement and corruption.

The New Syria, Year Two: Rebuilding Institutions and Governance Join us for an expert conversation examining the state of play in Syria one year after the fall of the Assad regime in 2024. Watch a live webcast of this event starting at 12:00 noon EST (1700 GMT) on...

📺How has the new Syria approached the monumental task of rebuilding broken institutions and extending its governance efforts? Tune in on Thursday, December 4 at 12pm ET as Amb. James Jeffrey and @azelin.bsky.social discuss the new dynamics. @devorahmargolin.bsky.social will moderate the event.

Hezbollah Is Down But Not Out Undermining the group in Lebanon requires targeting its networks abroad.

Hezbollah Is Down But Not Out. Undermining the group in Lebanon requires targeting its networks abroad.
⁦‪@WashInstitute‬⁩ ⁦‪@ForeignPolicy‬⁩
foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/06/h...

Israel exposes additional cases of political assassinations of fellow Lebanese by #Hezbollah unit 121

For background on unit 121, listen to this episode of my podcast on Hezbollah, Breaking Hezbollah’s Golden Rule:

shows.acast.com/breaking-hez...

Salvaging the Lebanon Ceasefire Amid Looming Deadlines and Threats of War Washington and its allies are waiting for Beirut to acknowledge the difficult but unavoidable truth: that war will resume unless serious action is taken to target all the pillars of Hezbollah’s power,...

New from Hanin Ghaddar and Assaf Orion: "Although major military operations between Israel and Hezbollah ended in November 2024, the ceasefire agreement they reached at the time remains tenuous in multiple senses."

Salvaging the Lebanon Ceasefire Amid Looming Deadlines and Threats of War Washington and its allies are waiting for Beirut to acknowledge the difficult but unavoidable truth: that war will resume unless serious action is taken to target all the pillars of Hezbollah’s power,...

New from Hanin Ghaddar and Assaf Orion: "Although major military operations between Israel and Hezbollah ended in November 2024, the ceasefire agreement they reached at the time remains tenuous in multiple senses."

YouTube video by WashingtonInstitute Making Sense of Syria Sanctions: The Syria Breakdown, Part Seven

@mattlevitt.bsky.social broke down the U.S. sanctions regime and explained how the government can reduce the burden on the emerging Syrian economy. 8/8

YouTube video by WashingtonInstitute Hope for al-Hol? The Syria Breakdown, Episode Six

@devorahmargolin.bsky.social examined why the emergence of a new central government in Syria offered hope that the al-Hol and Roj camps may soon be closed. 7/8

YouTube video by WashingtonInstitute After Assad, Navigating Syria Policy: The Syria Breakdown, Episode Five

Michael Singh and Dana Stroul testified before a Senate panel on U.S. policy post-Assad. 6/8

YouTube video by WashingtonInstitute Revolutionary Rebuilding and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS): The Syria Breakdown, Episode Four

@azelin.bsky.social gave insight into the risks and rewards of working with the new government of Syria led by members of HTS. 5/8

YouTube video by WashingtonInstitute Turkey Turns an Enemy into an Ally: The Syria Breakdown, Episode Three

Soner Cagaptay described the role that Turkey has played in supporting HTS. He also traces the “revolution” of Turkey’s relationship with Syria. 4/8

YouTube video by WashingtonInstitute Putin's Playground: The Syria Breakdown, Episode Two

Anna Borshchevskaya explained that Russia’s longstanding intervention was neither for the benefit of the Assad regime nor for the Syrian nation as a whole but was intended to strengthen the strategic interests of the Russian state. 3/8

YouTube video by WashingtonInstitute Why Assad Fell: The Syria Breakdown, Episode One

Andrew Tabler explained the domestic and foreign factors that led to the Assad government’s rapid demise. 2/8

In less than two weeks in December 2024, a group of rebels led by HTS toppled the brutal, 54-year regime of the al-Assad family in Syria. Last year, Institute scholars explored the causes and effects of this dramatic transformation of Syria. 1/8

The New Syria, Year Two: Rebuilding Institutions and Governance Join us for an expert conversation examining the state of play in Syria one year after the fall of the Assad regime in 2024. Watch a live webcast of this event starting at 12:00 noon EST (1700 GMT) on...

📺Join us on Thursday, December 4 at 12pm ET for an expert conversation with Amb. James Jeffrey and @azelin.bsky.social examining the state of play in Syria one year after the fall of the Assad regime. @devorahmargolin.bsky.social will moderate the event.

Khomeini Promised Free Water. Iran Is Running Out of It. Reservoirs are drying up due to systemic mismanagement and other problems, and regime officials do not appear willing or able to undertake the necessary fixes.

"Oil is not the only precious resource handled poorly by the Islamic Republic," writes @hdagres.bsky.social in Washington @postopinions.bsky.social. Here's how decades of poor water management by the clerical establishment have led to a crisis in Iran:

The New Syria, Year Two: Rebuilding Institutions and Governance Join us for an expert conversation examining the state of play in Syria one year after the fall of the Assad regime in 2024. Watch a live webcast of this event starting at 12:00 noon EST (1700 GMT) on...

📺Must-watch webcast on Thursday, December 4 at 12pm ET as Amb. James Jeffrey and @azelin.bsky.social examine the state of play in Syria one year after the fall of the Assad regime. @devorahmargolin.bsky.social will moderate the event.

A More Effective Approach to Countering the Muslim Brotherhood Instead of pinning a terrorist designation on the entire group, the Trump administration should focus more narrowly on the national security threats presented by individual Brotherhood branches and or...

In interview today, Trump says Muslim Brotherhood designation is coming soon. Here’s how to do it right:

More Effective Approach to Countering the Muslim Brotherhood @washinstitute.bsky.social
www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analy...

How to Stop Sudan’s Collapse With President Trump recently pledging to help Saudi Arabia and other regional partners broker a ceasefire, his administration should focus on pressuring the external spoilers who have fueled the figh...

To stop Sudan's collapse, the Trump administration should focus on pressuring external spoilers who've fueled the fighting. Read analysis & policy recommendations from Ben Fishman & Areig Elhag in The National Interest. www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analy...

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy is pleased to announce that retired U.S. Army general and former head of U.S. Central Command Michael “Erik” Kurilla has joined the organization as its Jill and Jay Bernstein Distinguished Fellow.

Read more: www.washingtoninstitute.org/about/press-...

Religious Freedom in Syria’s Post-Assad Transition An in-depth look at the legal regime that Syria's transitional authorities have put in place to deal with religious minorities, focusing on how its policies have played out in a climate of ongoing vio...

Earlier this month, @azelin.bsky.social testified before the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on religious freedom in Syria post-Assad.

"The longer that the international community waits, the more entrenched Hamas becomes," Ghaith al-Omari told @reuters.com. www.reuters.com/world/middle...

Unpacking the China File in U.S.-Saudi Relations As the Saudi crown prince visits Washington, the United States should use the occasion—as well as American leverage—to roll back China’s influence in the country.

The U.S. should use its deepening relations—and leverage— with Saudi Arabia to roll back China's influence in the kingdom, writes @grantrumley.bsky.social.