War on the Rocks’ Post

Bashar Assad fled Damascus as rebels seized the city, ending 50 years of Assad family rule and a 13-year civil war. While celebrations erupt, fears of a power vacuum grow. How will Syria navigate the power vacuum after Assad’s fall? Read 🌐GlobalPost for more on this story. *** #WorldNews #GlobalPost #Syria #Damascus #MiddleEast

Will the Real al-Jolani Stand Up? In a post-Assad-Dynasty Syria, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani emerges as a polarizing figure. Once a jihadist with ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS, al-Jolani now positions himself as a statesman advocating for pluralism and tolerance. With the Assad regime’s 54-year rule over, Syria faces a pivotal moment. Al-Jolani and his Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels claim they’ve abandoned extremism, even pledging to safeguard chemical weapons stockpiles. Yet, skepticism persists—both within Syria and the international community—over his transformation. James M. Dorsey’s latest piece explores al-Jolani’s evolution, the challenges of rebuilding Syria, and whether HTS can gain trust at home and abroad. Can this former jihadist lead a nation toward unity and peace, or will doubts about his past overshadow his future? Read the full article by James M. Dorsey: https://lnkd.in/eeRf_9Ba #Syria #MiddleEast #GlobalPolitics #Leadership #ConflictResolution #Transformation

Rising Tensions in the Middle East: Israel-Iran Conflict and Global Implications**Summary:**The recent assassination of the Hamas leader in Iran by Israel has significantly heightened tensions in the Middle East. This event, which took place during the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new president, has the potential to escalate into a wider conflict. **Key Points:*** Israel's assassination of the Hamas leader is seen as retaliation for a previous attack by Hamas that killed Israeli civilians.* Iran is likely to retaliate for the killing of its ally, potentially by supplying weapons to Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed militant group.* The conflict has broader implications, including the potential for involvement by other countries in the region and the impact on global oil prices.* Russia has condemned Israel's recent airstrike on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, which resulted in civilian casualties. #IRIran #Israel #Lebanon #MiddleEast #War #geopolitics #IR 

In today's #BigStory Iran vs Israel: Is this all-out war? The TLDR: On Saturday, Iran launched over 300 rockets at Israel—in retaliation to Israel’s strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria. Both acts crossed critical red lines that have helped avoid war in the Middle East. Will this spiral of vengeance result in an uncontrollable war? If so, who benefits? #Israel #Iran #US #MiddleEast #War Read for free with the link in the comments.

🔎 Insights into our latest publication 🔎 Regional tensions rise after the assassination of #Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, as the war in #Gaza threatens to expand into #Lebanon 🇱🇧. #Syria 🇸🇾, as a neighbor to both and beleaguered by over a decade of civil war, could be significantly impacted by such escalations. In his article, Fabio Calzati describes the main armed groups operating in Syria and how they have jockeyed for control in the power vacuum created by a decreased U.S presence. He notes that terror groups like #ISIL stand to gain from the chaos caused by a regional conflict but that #Iran 🇮🇷-backed #Hezbollah might seek to avoid an outright war for fear of its destructive toll upon their own organisation. Fabio warns that this war on the margins conducted by such Iranian proxies may convert into an outright war if the escalating tensions are mismanaged and cooler heads lose out. Fabio recommends a reevaluation of U.S 🇺🇸 and allied military plans in Syria given this new context, increased intelligence sharing to counter the efforts of emboldened terror groups and #humanitarian initiatives that create physical and human infrastructure in Syria to reduce the potential recruitment pool for terror organisations. 📌 Issue 16 of #Mediterranean Programmeʼs #PeaceandSecurityMonitor is available for download here: https://lnkd.in/eg2xPmPQ 📌 Visit the website of our Mediterranean Programme at: https://lnkd.in/dfkAFDjv

The #IDF is initiating a limited ground invasion of #Lebanon! Because why not let Israel take the lead in battling the mullahs of #Iran, right? After all, the Sunni Arab nations sit back and enjoy the show while Israel does the heavy lifting. In all honesty, the Arab world gave Palestinians more than $81 billion dollars- and I bet they only built tunnels with that or Arafat & other corrupt leaders put them in their 401K in Switzerland! Let’s not forget the staggering reality: the #Syrian civil war, fueled significantly by Iran's meddling, has claimed over 500,000 lives—yet the world seems to keep mum. And who can ignore the devastation in Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon? All thanks to Iran's shady investments masked as "Palestinian rights." But hey, Egypt has its hands full too! With the Muslim Brotherhood lurking, the Egyptian government can only do so much. What’s a country to do when their deep-seated ideologies are so hard to shake off? It’s like fighting an ideological Hydra—cut off one head, and two more grow in its place. So, here’s to the only military perceived as capable of dismantling this intricate network: Israel. The Arab world watches in silence… interesting times we live in! #MiddleEast #Geopolitics #IDF #Iran #ArabWorld #Gaza #Hamas #Hezbullah #Terrorist

Blinken is in Saudi Arabia where there is little progress on the resumption of talks to end the war in Sudan. For Forum on KQED, I analyse the impact the war has had on fragile neighbouring countries, how the army and RSF continue to capitalise on political divisions and the dwindling influence of regional and international bodies in mediating the conflict: https://lnkd.in/dWMQGW6R

The End of 54 Years of Rule in Syria By Dr. Muhammad Osama Shafiq (PhD) #Syria #Alassad #Middleeast #Palestine #Regime Challenges for the Middle East From 2011’s Arab Spring to December 2024, the region remains fragmented. Divisions among Sunni, Shia, U.S., and Russian blocs continue to erode unity, leaving Israel unchallenged. Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan recently emphasized the need for unity among Syrian rebel factions. Yet, whether groups like Islamic State, Syrian National Army, and Islamic Front can form a cohesive government is a pressing question. The Way Forward For Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey, this is an opportunity to form a united bloc to stabilize the region. Failing this, the specter of another civil war in Syria looms, which could enable Zionist expansion towards Al-Aqsa Mosque, with devastating consequences for the Muslim world and beyond. Meanwhile, the possibility of external forces, rather than regional actors, supporting Palestinian resistance continues to grow. The outcomes in Syria will have far-reaching implications for the Palestinian cause and global politics. 2/2

The second major city of Syria, Hama, has fallen into the hands of the rebels (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham), marking a major setback for dictator Assad. Major events are unfolding in geopolitics, and Syria is also next to Israel. #Syria #SyriaWar #Arab #GlobalNews #Geopolitics #Defense #ForeignAffairs