The current military map that has emerged following the fall of Aleppo, and the gradual purging of dozens of rebel towns in Rif Damascus in 2016, is the culmination of dynamics that were initiated as early as in 2013. They were accelerated following Russia's direct military involvement in...

The fight against Islamic State (IS) has been the focus of Western countries' policy towards Syria since late 2014, while the objective of finding a lasting political solution to the conflict has been relegated to the background. This policy focus has manifested as a military counterterrorism...

Russia has opted to put pressure on Turkey regarding the future of Idlib, holding it largely responsible for untangling the region's complex and interlocking issues. By striking a deal in Sochi in September 2018, Russia delayed the decision to launch a military offensive that would have...

In March 2020, the Syrian Ministry of Health and the administration of Daraa's National Hospital refuted rumours of cases of Covid-19 and asserted that Daraa governorate was free of the virus. Although the rumours stemmed from insecurity, the growing civilian fear and suffering resulting from...

Japan plays a critical yet often overlooked role in the geopolitical dynamics of Southeast Asia - an important region at the centre of the Indo-Pacific where US-China rivalry has intensified over the past decade. Having overcome antagonisms related to its pre-1945 wartime and colonial history in...