Is the new Syrian state ISIL’s main target?
ACLED’s Middle East Research Manager Muaz Al Abdullah comments on the strategic shift in ISIL’s targeting patterns following the fall of the Assad regime.
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Muaz Al Abdullah
Middle East Research Manager
Muaz Al Abdullah is a Middle East Research Manager at ACLED overseeing Syria, Iraq, and Iran. He has been with the organization since June 2017. Muaz holds an MA in Political Science and International Relations and has over eight years of experience working with different non-profit organizations and providing security analysis to organizations implementing projects in Syria. His research focuses on reconstruction efforts in the transitional/post-war phase in Syria.
Content by this author
What is behind Syria’s new wave of protests?
ACLED’s Middle East Research Manager Muaz Al Abdullah comments on civilian resentment over delayed transitional justice
Is Israel redrawing the Syrian border under the guise of security?
ACLED’s Middle East Research Manager Muaz Al Abdullah comments on the strategic implications of Israel’s military road construction in Quneitra’s buffer zone.
Has Syria turned a corner on the landmine threat?
ACLED’s Middle East Research Manager Muaz Al Abdullah comments on deadly explosive remnants in Syria
Middle East Overview: April 2026
On the heels of the US-Iran two-week ceasefire agreement, ACLED experts detail the impacts in the region, including in Lebanon, the Gulf, Yemen, Israel, and Iraq — and their outlook on what's to come.
Muaz Al Abdullah on attacks targeting US-linked sites in Iraq
ACLED’s Middle East Research Manager Muaz Al Abdullah comments on Iran’s war battlefield in Iraq as attacks increase
Muaz Al Abdullah on Israeli military activity in Syria doubling since the Iran war
ACLED Middle East Research Manager Muaz Al Abdullah comments on increasing Israeli aerial attacks in Syria as ground operations move to Lebanon.
Middle East Special Issue: March 2026
ACLED experts unpack the evolution of the US-Israeli war with Iran and its escalation throughout the Middle East.
