COVID-19, the oil price war, and the remaking of the Middle East

The Middle East is facing an unexpected turning point. The region will not look the same after COVID-19 as it did before it. Prior to the outbreak, the Middle East had managed to normalize the geostrategic implications of the Arab Spring. Tunisia transitioned to a fully functioning democracy, Egypt ended up with a strongman, Syria became a catastrophe, Jordan and Morocco enacted some reforms, while Algeria and Sudan are still struggling with transitions and Lebanon stands on the brink of economic collapse.

Co-chair of the PYD: SDF could join government forces in Idlib after an agreement on role in Syrian Armed Forces

During the most recent military escalation by Syrian government forces and their allied militias in northwest Syria, which led to the displacement of more than one million people, media outlets—mostly opposition-leaning—reported that the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fought alongside the Syrian government forces. The SDF, however, has denied these claims.

Dozens of Syrian mercenaries in Libya killed in 1 week

Although the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 151 Turkey-backed militants – fighting in the ranks of Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) have been killed since the beginning of this year, the LNA announced Thursday that the number of Syrian mercenaries who fell over the previous 72 hours is 103.

Iran’s influence extends to South America

Since the death of General Soleimani in Baghdad on January 2nd as a result of a Drone Strike at the Baghdad International Airport, there has been great consternation that the Trump Administration would take such a bold step and fear that Iran will retaliate for this move.

Migration as a Weapon – How to Stop Erdogan

Turkish President Erdogan is currently in a precarious situation. Turkey suffered in Syria severe military setbacks with dozens of killed. Yesterday’s agreement with Russia’s President Putin foresees a withdrawal of the Islamists supported by Turkey from a larger area to the south and east of Idlib. More than 30 Turkish soldiers died in Libya in the last few days. EU sanctions against two Turkish citizens because of the natural gas drilling off Cyprus are damaging to Erdogan’s reputation.

As the nation defaults, Lebanon turns its back on Syrian refugees

AMMAN — The months-long economic crisis in Lebanon peaked on Saturday, as the government announced it would be defaulting, for the first time in its history, on a $1.2 billion debt payment which was due to be paid on Monday. The payment constitutes just a small portion of the country’s $90 billion national debt, which is 170% of the nation’s GDP. Consequently, some “unpopular decisions” have become inevitable, according to the Minister of Information Manal Abdul Samad.

International, regional and local reactions to the March 5 Russian-Turkish agreement on northwest Syria

On March 5, Turkey and Russia reached an agreement on the “stabilization of the situation in the Idlib de-escalation area.” The agreement came after months of escalation came to a head with the Turkish “Operation Spring Shield” against government forces and its allied militias on March 1, in response to air raids that resulted in the death of 34 Turkish soldiers in Idlib province on February 27.