US-Turkish relations seem to be trending in a more positive direction because Turkey has been forced to seek help from NATO and Washington against its Syrian and Russian foes in the fighting around Idlib. Diplomatic tensions between the United States…
The novel coronavirus pandemic has tragically claimed tens of thousands of lives worldwide, among them an increasing number of Israeli fatalities. It has roiled markets and stoked public anxiety, all while posing a unique national security challenge for a democracy…
The growing military and humanitarian crisis near Idlib in northern Syria does not itself fundamentally endanger the West. But what happens in Syria has consequences that reverberate beyond its borders. The West’s current containment strategy might not suffice to address related challenges that are being exacerbated…
Introduction As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated ten days after the January 3, 2020 strike that killed Iran’s Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, “We have re-established deterrence.” Still, he correctly acknowledged, “we know it’s not everlasting, that risk remains.” Indeed,…
Just when the United States thought it was getting out, Iran pulled it back in. In the last few weeks, American forces that had surged to the Middle East after Iranian aggression began to withdraw. Soon afterwards, America’s regional presence quickly swelled…
The coronavirus pandemic is altering every aspect of American life, including the United States’s relationship with the rest of the world. Leaders in both parties were already looking to wind down “endless wars.” After decades of successive wars in the…
Since 1981, a critical international military force has safeguarded the peace between Egypt and Israel. The administration’s recent budget calls for $30 million in funding for the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), but Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman…
Lebanon, a perpetually fragile state suffering from new political and economic crises, is again seeking international assistance. The new Lebanese prime minister even admitted Lebanon was unable to pay its debt. Previous efforts at stabilization have largely failed. To avoid…
Five years ago last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint meeting of Congress about the nuclear deal then taking shape with Iran (the JCPOA). The speech remains controversial. Deal supporters still complain that the then-speaker of the House and the…
Protests throughout Iran show that some of the biggest threats to the Iranian regime are its own policies. The Trump administration has drawn attention to these abuses through powerful sanctions. However, the United States has several other tools to exploit…