Last week in the Middle East, Israeli warplanes struck Damascus International Airport and nearby areas in Syria. Israel was targeting the Syrian regime and Iranian Quds Force command centers in response to an incident involving the discovery of planted IEDs in the southern Golan Heights. Meanwhile, rocket fire from the Gaza strip was met with…
Last week in the Middle East, a truck bomb explosion reportedly led to the deaths of 18 civilians in Syria, while two former opposition figures were killed in an armed attack by unknown gunmen. Anti-government demonstrations were reported in Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Demonstrations were also reported in Palestine following the fatal shooting of a…
Last week in the Middle East, the United States (US) threatened to close its embassy in Baghdad in response to continuous attacks by militias in Iraq on US and global coalition targets. Fatah and Hamas have agreed to hold joint elections in the West Bank and Gaza. Lebanon is once again facing a political vacuum…
Last week in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed normalization agreements with Israel in Washington, DC, setting off a wave of protests in Bahrain, Palestine, and Iran. A new round of sanctions on Iran was announced by the United States (US). In Syria, a car bomb explosion in Afrin city…
Last week in the Middle East, the Saudi-led coalition conducted airstrikes in Yemen for the first time since July, as Houthi forces continued their operations in Marib governorate. Bahrain announced its willingness to follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in normalizing relations with Israel; both are set to sign historic agreements…
Last month in the Middle East, a blast in Beirut left Lebanon reeling from the overwhelming human and financial cost of the explosion. Armed clashes intensified in both the Marib district and in Al Bayda in Yemen, and in the Greater Idleb area in Syria. A historic deal establishing full diplomatic ties between the United…
Last week in the Middle East, it was generally quiet as event counts were low across many countries with a few notable exceptions. In Yemen, clashes between Houthi and anti-Houthi forces decreased along with Saudi-led airstrikes. In Syria, Israeli airstrikes led to heightened regional tensions between Israel, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. Meanwhile, demonstrations in Iraq…
Evaluating an IS Resurgence The historical moment in which the Islamic State (IS) exploded into global infamy was unique. In 2011, three years before the emergence of the caliphate, the Arab Spring had begun to destabilize political orders across the Middle East. In Syria, the uprising quickly morphed into a full-fledged civil war. Fighters from…
Last week was another relatively quiet week across the Middle East. However, across the region, event counts are slowly increasing back to the numbers seen before the coronavirus outbreak. Explosions/remote violence and protests remain the most frequent event types. Last week, there was an increase in explosion/remote violence events in Syria, particularly in shelling attacks. …
Last week in the Middle East, the number of battles increased in Yemen and Syria, while demonstration events increased in Iraq. Violence against civilians also increased in Yemen. In Yemen, the amount of clashes increased relative to past weeks as anti-Houthi and Houthi forces conducted offensives in Al Hodeidah, Marib, Ad Dali, and Taizz governorates.…