Op-ed

Shehab Al Makahleh • The question whether Turkey would reopen its embassy in Damascus in the near future has become significant for many analysts due to the multiple messages that such a move would send to various regional and international powers. It has been confirmed by the Turkish side …

By Shehab Al Makahleh •    The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is experiencing a fundamental geopolitical transformation which has pushed both superpowers to get more involved in the affairs of the MENA region. The frequent visits of both American and Russian officials to the region reflect …

by Shehab Al-Makahleh | Published August 25th, 2017  | Foreign Policy Association • As heavy fighting in the city of Hama reminds us of the seemingly endless misery in Syria, a hopeful breakthrough has been overlooked in the media: Syrian opposition forces met in Jordan for two days to …

By Shehab Al Makahleh • A meeting on August 7 between King Abdullah of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas established a joint crisis committee to follow up the Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque and evaluate the past and expected Israeli violations in Jerusalem. This committee’s significance is …

Shehab Al-Makahleh and Maria Dubovikova The future of Syria is now being decided in Amman after the withdrawal of Syrian armed opposition troops from neighborhoods near the Jordanian-Syrian border, leaving the crossing point of Naseeb under the control of the Syria Arab Army (SAA). The fate of Syria, and importantly …

By Shehab Al-Makahleh •  Seeing Iraq regain stability serves as a source of panic for some in the region. Iraq’s influential Shia leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, paid an unexpected visit to Saudi Arabia on July 28 and 29, where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and other senior officials. …

By Shehab Al Makahleh • The agreement between the Syrian government and the armed opposition to cease hostilities in certain locations in Syria is seen as a principled success of the deal reached late June, that went into effect in July, on establishment of de-escalation zones in Eastern Ghouta …

By Shehab Al Makahleh •  The July 7 meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Hamburg, on the sidelines of the G20 summit, will be remembered not so much because the meeting of two most important world leaders finally occurred, despite all possible efforts by various actors to …

By Shehab Al Makahleh •  The United States, Russia and Jordan have agreed to foster a cease-fire in a limited area of southwestern Syria that will begin at noon on Sunday July 9, 2017. The cease-fire agreement was announced Friday by Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and his Russian …