It is perhaps too soon to conclude that the U.S. and Iran have reached an impasse after five rounds of negotiations, since April 12, on a nuclear agreement that would replace the 2015 multilateral Iran nuclear accord (JCPOA) that President Donald Trump exited in 2018, during his initial term. That pact technically remains in effect […]| The Soufan Center
As Donald Trump prepares to return to the U.S. presidency, Iran’s nuclear program will factor prominently, as it did during his former term, in U.S. strategy to address the Iranian threat to regional stability and U.S. allies throughout the region. Yet, the legacy of the first Trump administration’s withdrawal from the delicately crafted 2015 multilateral […]| The Soufan Center
Earlier this week, Russia launched a drone assault on Ukraine, which Ukrainian forces considered one of the largest of the war, involving nearly 500 drones and missiles in Ukrainian airspace. This unprecedented escalation is a direct response to the large-scale drone operation carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) on June 1 which targeted Russian […]| The Soufan Center
During a press briefing last week, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated: “The United States has confirmed reports that Iran has transferred shipments of Fath 360 close-range ballistic missiles to Russia, which we assess could employ them within weeks against Ukraine, leading to the deaths of even more Ukrainian civilians.” He […]| The Soufan Center
The only certainty arising from the U.S. drone strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is the forthcoming period of volatility and tumult| The Soufan Center
On Sunday morning regional time, the U.S. conducted an Air Force-led highly secretive operation (“Operation Midnight Hammer”), involving 125 combat aircraft and submarine-launched cruise missiles, against three nuclear sites in central Iran — the uranium conversion facility at Isfahan, and the two uranium enrichment plants at Natanz and Fordow. U.S. officials admitted the operation included […]| The Soufan Center
In a marked shift from earlier signals of imminent military escalation, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a period of up to two weeks to allow diplomatic efforts with Iran to proceed before deciding on possible U.S. military involvement. The decision — delivered through a statement read by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt — […]| The Soufan Center
The situation between Israel and Iran has developed into a rapidly escalating conflict, with both sides aggressively attacking the other and each side sustaining civilian casualties. Within the course of the past forty-eight hours, however, there appears to be a growing realization that without direct U.S. intervention, the conflict could continue spiraling out of control […]| The Soufan Center
A group of four militants from Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), a Pakistani-based terrorist group, opened fire on civilians earlier this week in the tourist destination of Pahalgam, in the Indian-administered state of Kashmir. At least 26 individuals have been confirmed dead and 20 more seriously injured, in an attack where the gunmen allegedly singled out Hindus, asking […]| The Soufan Center
As China’s global profile has grown over the past few decades, so has its involvement in the Middle East.| The Soufan Center
At the Group of Seven (G7) Leaders’ Summit in Schloss Elmau, Germany, Western leaders formally launched the global infrastructure and investment partnership that was officially unveiled one year ago at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Britain| The Soufan Center
At a September summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a security-focused grouping of Russia, China, and several Central and South Asian states, Iran’s application for a promotion from observer status to full membership of the grouping was approved| The Soufan Center
A vehicle ramming and stabbing attack outside of a synagogue in Manchester, England, killed two and injured several others. The incident occurred in Crumpsall, located in north Manchester, at the Heaton Park synagogue yesterday on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. The attacker, who was later identified as Jihad al-Shamie, initially conducted […] The post Manchester Synagogue Attack on Yom Kippur Rattles the United Kingdom appeared first on The Soufan Center.| The Soufan Center
On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced, on behalf of President Trump, that: “This evening, at 8:00 p.m. EDT, the United Nations reimposed sanctions and other restrictions pursuant to six UN Security Council Resolutions — 1696, 1737, 1747, 1803, 1835, and 1929 — based on Iran’s continuing ‘significant non-performance’ of its nuclear commitments. The post UN Sanctions on Iran Are Reimposed appeared first on The Soufan Center.| The Soufan Center
In late February, Moroccan counterterrorism authorities arrested a dozen people accused of planning attacks on behalf of the Islamic State’s (IS) Sahel branch. The plot reportedly involved the remote detonation of explosive devices across Morocco. Raids across the country led to the confiscation by authorities of flags used by IS, cash, and weapons, including nail […] The post Does the Sahel Pose a Transnational Terror Threat? appeared first on The Soufan Center.| The Soufan Center
On Sunday, Moldova held pivotal parliamentary elections that delivered a victory for the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). The post Winning the Battle, Not the War: Moldova’s Fight Against the Kremlin’s Hybrid Arsenal appeared first on The Soufan Center.| The Soufan Center
In advance of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House today, and anticipating the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that “It’s looking like we have a deal on Gaza.” He added: “…we’ll let you know. I think […] The post Trump Pushes for a Final Settlement to the Conflict in Gaza appeared first on The Soufan Center.| The Soufan Center
On Wednesday morning, a gunman opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Dallas, Texas, killing one detainee at the facility and injuring two more critically before turning the gun on himself. As the investigation unfolds, reporting suggests that the alleged perpetrator was a 29-year-old man. According to FBI Director Kash […] The post America Must Reclaim the Center Before Political Violence Becomes the Norm appeared first on The Soufan Center.| The Soufan Center
Rumors persist that a potential security agreement is nearing finalization between Israel and Syria, although details remain unclear. Still, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa seems optimistic and has suggested that a deal could come soon. Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, and Syria’s Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, have been working with U.S. Envoy Tom Barrack […] The post Will Syria and Israel Reach a Security Deal? appeared first on The Soufan Center.| The Soufan Center
Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered remarks to the United Nations, further solidifying his efforts to diminish the international order that the United States has long dominated. In his address, Trump cited a number of international disputes — ranging from Cambodia and Thailand to Armenia and Azerbaijan — that he claimed were resolved through U.S. […] The post Trump’s UN Speech Highlights His Worldview Amidst a Shifting International Order appeared first on The Soufan Center.| The Soufan Center
As world leaders gather this week for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the mood remains somber, despite the organization celebrating its 80th anniversary. Budget shortfalls and questions over the relevance of the institution will dominate the headlines this week, in addition to calls for reform and questions over what role, if any, the UN […] The post UN Facing Questions Over Its Impact as World Leaders Gather In New York City appeared first on The Soufan Center.| The Soufan Center
As the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack approaches, U.S. and regional diplomats are as pessimistic as ever that the conflict in Gaza can be brought to a conclusion. Israel’s failed strike on a meeting of Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9 appeared intended to — and did — derail ongoing diplomacy. The Israeli […]| The Soufan Center
The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, following the launch of the “Deter Aggression” campaign by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied opposition factions, marked a turning point in Syria’s conflict and the role of foreign fighters within it. As the war shifted, so too did the presence and influence of tactical units made up of foreign fighters – groups that have since played a critical role in reshaping modern militant strategy in the region.| The Soufan Center
Amidst violent unrest along Syria’s Mediterranean coast, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed to merge with the country’s new government earlier this week, in what has been hailed as a historic agreement. The deal was widely lauded as a breakthrough for the interim government, led by former Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) frontman Ahmed al-Sharaa, […]| The Soufan Center
The Islamic State is prioritizing freeing its operatives and supporters from SDF-controlled prisons and detention camps, seeing that as a necessary step for the group’s resurgence. To that end, they’ve launched attacks on prisons and jails, the most notable of which was the 2022 al-Sinaa prison break at al-Hasakah. The largest prison in the Northeast, […]| The Soufan Center
The regional warfare that erupted following the Hamas incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023 laid bare the challenges to the region posed by non-state actors willing and able to defy state authority to pursue their separate ideologies and further the objectives of their outside backers. In three cases – Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, all […]| The Soufan Center
The Syrian people, as well as Western and regional leaders, hoped that the fall of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to Islamist rebels professing moderation and tolerance would quickly produce domestic stability. Regional and European countries anticipated an end to civil conflict might encourage the more than 6 million Syrian refugees and 7 million […]| The Soufan Center
Governments are increasingly acknowledging the imperative of repatriating their female and minor citizens from detention camps in Syria.| The Soufan Center
Early Sunday morning in Syria, as rebel factions closed in on Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad fled the country for Russia, signaling a seismic shift in the Middle East’s political landscape. Rebel fighters declared an end to Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule, which followed a 30-year reign of his father, Hafez al-Assad. Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the head […]| The Soufan Center
The current environment in Syria is tailor-made for the Islamic State (ISIS) to exploit in an effort to help facilitate its comeback and resurgence, not just in the country but across the region. Still, the situation is complex. While ISIS will almost certainly gain from the absence of the Assad regime, providing ISIS with greater […]| The Soufan Center
In the ten-day offensive that ultimately toppled the 54-year rule of the Assad regime in Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Sunni Islamist rebel group, showcased its strategic approach to media operations and public relations. The group’s messaging was carefully tailored not just to Syrians, at home and exiled, and other rebel fighters, but also […]| The Soufan Center
Following the recent U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) raid in northwestern Syria leading to the death of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, many are wondering what impact it will have on the group globally| The Soufan Center
An emergency summit of the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened in Doha yesterday to discuss a response to the Israeli strikes last week targeting Hamas leadership. Arab and Islamic leaders gathered to express solidarity with Qatar, denounce the Israeli attack, and warn that such actions risk upending regional stability and efforts […]| The Soufan Center
Israel’s failed attempt to decapitate Hamas’ political leadership on Tuesday has called into question many of the assumptions Arab Gulf states and other regional leaders have held for decades. Since the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the Gulf states have relied on a U.S.| The Soufan Center
Israel launched airstrikes targeting a Hamas senior leadership meeting in Qatar’s capital, Doha, yesterday. Eyewitnesses reported multiple blasts in the West Bay Lagoon area in Doha, an area popular with tourists and home to many foreign embassies, schools, supermarkets, and residential compounds. Footage released afterward showed massive explosions, with smoke towering above the city as […]| The Soufan Center
As Egypt and Qatar try to forge a ceasefire that would cut short Israel’s offensive against Gaza City, leaders in Cairo and other major Arab capitals are also moving forward with efforts to assemble a viable “day after” plan to govern and secure the Gaza Strip in a postwar period. U.S. and regional leaders assess that mounting Israel Defense Forces (IDF) casualties and an expanding global outcry over the severe humanitarian conditions in Gaza will eventually compel Israeli Prime Ministe...| The Soufan Center
U.S. President Donald Trump’s multi-country tour of the Middle East has received widespread attention, as his visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have garnered more than $1 trillion in investments. Of note, Trump did not visit Israel during his trip, which brought criticism from pro-Israel camps within the U.S. government. […]| The Soufan Center
Global and regional officials anticipated that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Washington last week, capped by a meeting with President Trump on February 4, would produce a clear roadmap toward a permanent end to the Israel-Hamas war, a release of all hostages, and a rebuilding of the devastated Gaza Strip. Toward the end of […]| The Soufan Center
President Trump and his foreign policy aides are divided over how to address Iran’s advancing nuclear program. The issue has become progressively more acute – for the United States and particularly for Israel, which identifies Iran’s nuclear program as an “existential threat” – as Iran assembles the fissile material and knowledge it would need to […]| The Soufan Center
Trump’s Special Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met for the second time on Saturday at the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Rome, Italy| The Soufan Center
As many experts expected, the January ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas unraveled last week as Israel undertook major airstrikes and began a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Hamas responded with a rocket volley against Israel, using its indigenous production capabilities still active in the enclave. Phase one of the ceasefire agreement had expired […]| The Soufan Center
Hamas and Israel continue to engage in halting, mediated talks to try to achieve an end to the Gaza conflict. On Saturday, a senior Hamas delegation including Muhammad Darwish, Khaled Meshaal, Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, and Nizar Awadallah held talks in Cairo on a proposed five-year truce and the release of all remaining Israeli hostages. […]| The Soufan Center
As several protracted conflicts rage on, threatening to proliferate into regional conflagrations, humanitarian aid workers have faced increased threats, including arbitrary detention, kidnapping, and attacks that result in injury and death. Senior UN officials highlighted these increased dangers for humanitarian workers during a recent UN Security Council meeting on the protection of civilians in armed […]| The Soufan Center
The recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East, careening toward a wider regional war, has led to severe humanitarian consequences in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and parts of Israel. The broader conflict has resulted in mass displacement and significant civilian casualties in several theatres, insufficient shelter, supply shortages, and widespread food insecurity, compounded at […]| The Soufan Center
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, the U.S. military began dropping food over the Strip in a “combined humanitarian assistance airdrop” conducted by U.S. and Jordanian air forces over the weekend, according to a statement by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The initial drop consisted of more than 38,000 meals along Gaza’s coastline, with […]| The Soufan Center
Iran’s leaders are reacting forcefully to the challenge to their carefully crafted national security architecture posed by Israeli and U.S. military action over the past year.| The Soufan Center
U.S. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss a possible peace deal for Ukraine, marking Putin’s first visit to the U.S. since 2007. Notably absent was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose delegation was not invited to join the talks. Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with President Trump […]| The Soufan Center
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were set to sign a landmark bilateral agreement related to Ukraine’s natural resource supplies, particularly Kyiv’s critical minerals reserves, but the deal collapsed last week during a shocking televised meeting at the White House. Since then, both leaders have expressed a willingness to move forward, with […]| The Soufan Center
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago estranged Moscow from the United States and its European allies, Iran has counted on an expanding strategic partnership with Russia to insulate it from U.S. pressure, further spread Iranian influence in the Middle East, and receive needed advanced conventional weaponry. However, recent developments are likely to drive […]| The Soufan Center
The Trump administration ordered airstrikes against a range of Houthi targets in Yemen over the weekend, following through on threats that came on the heels of redesignating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). American fighter jets and warships participated in the assault, according to United States Central Command (US CENTCOM), with fighter planes […]| The Soufan Center
In its first days in office, the second Trump administration fulfilled widespread expectations that it would use economic sanctions as a key lever with which to effect outcomes and advance U.S. and allied interests. Outside the region, Trump restored Cuba to the list of state sponsors of terrorism, repeating an action he took late in […]| The Soufan Center
As Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu began his visit to Washington last week, including meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office on February 4, global experts expected the meeting to produce an unequivocal commitment by Trump to use––or support Israel’s use of––military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. President Trump and all of his […]| The Soufan Center
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited President Donald Trump at the White House yesterday, with the meeting focusing on a range of issues, including the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, what a “victory” over Hamas would look like, and the necessity of continuing to counter Iran, among other topics. Also on the agenda between Trump […]| The Soufan Center
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared victory in elections this week, laying claim to his fourth consecutive term leading the government. Orban is now the longest-serving leader of any country in the European Union (EU), concerning for many given his illiberal tendencies which frequently make him an outlier in the EU| The Soufan Center
Throughout his presidential campaign, U.S. President Donald Trump ran on a platform that included extricating the United States from “forever wars,” and avoiding getting bogged down in internecine conflicts where a narrowly defined U.S. national interest is unclear.| The Soufan Center
Even as the Trump administration is signaling a desire to pull back from conflict zones and other global hot spots, the first several weeks of the president’s second term have witnessed multiple kinetic strikes against the Islamic State-Somalia (IS-S) branch. The group boasts approximately 1,000 fighters and has more recently been successful in expanding its […]| The Soufan Center
Al-Shabaab’s 2025 Shabelle offensive has achieved significant territorial gains and racked up key operational successes in the Shabelle regions of Somalia since its initiation in February. The group’s advances have left Mogadishu scrambling for reinforcements, seeking international support from the United States, Türkiye, and the African Union to bolster its defenses. The current Somali threat […]| The Soufan Center
Somalia and Türkiye recently agreed to a ten-year defense deal that will see Ankara helping Mogadishu with security cooperation and building the capacity of its naval forces.| The Soufan Center
On June 19th the government of Somalia announced that 43 al-Shabaab fighters, including two high-level commanders, were killed in an airstrike by the Somali National Army (SNA) in the Lower Juba region.| The Soufan Center
With U.S President Donald Trump’s deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire deal with Kyiv originally set for today, the White House announced an imminent meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. A top Kremlin aide stated that the meeting would take place “in the coming days,” and the scheduled sit-down appears to be […]| The Soufan Center
The sharp deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is forcing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to face choices he has been able to avoid in the nearly two years since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. In March, Netanyahu brushed aside a ceasefire to resume ground operations in Gaza in […]| The Soufan Center
Historically, women have played active roles in most terrorist movements, and narratives about women, gender and society permeate nearly all major terrorist ideologies| The Soufan Center
Federal prosecutors in New York City revealed earlier this week that a United States Army private, 22-year old Ethan Phelan Melzer, conspired to release classified information to a neo-Nazi group called Order of Nine Angles (O9A)| The Soufan Center
A recent study commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) revealed an astonishing lack of awareness about the Holocaust among young adults in the United States| The Soufan Center
A newly released unclassified report by the Office of the Direction of National Intelligence (ODNI) details the extent of the domestic violent extremism (DVE) threat to the United States. The report defines DVEs as “US-based actors who conduct or threaten activities that are dangerous to human life in violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any state| The Soufan Center
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For more than six months, Trump officials have sought to bring an end to the war in Gaza, anticipating that ending the conflict will open opportunities to broaden Middle East integration and shift the regional balance of power away from Iran and its constellation of non-state armed allies.| The Soufan Center
On July 20, al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, recaptured the towns of Sabiid and Anole, located roughly 40 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region| The Soufan Center
On Friday, the United States House of Representatives passed a final vote approving President Donald Trump’s proposal to cut $9 billion from public broadcasting and foreign aid. Among the foreign aid reductions were $800 million in refugee assistance, $496 million for natural disaster relief, and, most notably, $4.15 billion from programs aimed at strengthening economies […]| The Soufan Center
Last week, Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller announced a drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, shifting to 2,500 troops in early January just before President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is set to assume office| The Soufan Center
The global jihadist movement is alive and well, even after the so-called Islamic State’s territorial caliphate has collapsed. IS franchises and affiliates continue to expand, including in Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Egypt and elsewhere| The Soufan Center
“Afghanistan’s on the brink of anther humanitarian crisis,” warned Spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Babar Baloch, in mid-July. The United Nations estimates that 330,000 Afghans have been newly displaced since January| The Soufan Center
In the last two decades, massive efforts of the so-called Global War on Terror (GWoT) in the Afghanistan-Pakistan (AfPak) region resulted in severe blows to al-Qaeda. However, the group maintains deep, covert roots in the AfPak's jihadist landscape, ensuring its longevity in the region| The Soufan Center
As 2018 begins, it is worth noting how the so-called Islamic State has changed from a group that governed substantial territories at the start of 2017, including Mosul and Raqqa, its most significant symbolic and logistics centers in Syria and Iraq, to a shrunken version of its former self.| The Soufan Center
It is both fitting and necessary to acknowledge the magnitude of the Iraqi people’s military defeat of the so-called Islamic State (IS).| The Soufan Center
On October 13, President Trump announced a new U.S. strategy to constrain Iran, following a six-month policy review that examined how Washington might counter Iranian policies it objects to that were not addressed in the landmark 2015 multilateral Iran nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).| The Soufan Center
Major combat is winding down in Syria. The so-called Islamic State faces defeat from forces including a U.S.-led coalition, while Syrian government and Iran-backed militias have recaptured most of the territory lost to other rebel groups in the first years of the country’s civil war.| The Soufan Center
Turkish President Erdogan has always sought to outwardly present himself as a strong leader, especially in matters of foreign and security policy, as he continues to edge Turkey further away from the West| The Soufan Center
On 8 April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Around this same time in Ankara, the opposition candidate for mayor of the capital city was sworn in| The Soufan Center
Under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has expanded its military footprint abroad in an attempt to establish Ankara as a major player in numerous regional foreign policy scenarios| The Soufan Center
Tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan have opened the door for exploitation and competition between regional powers, particularly Turkey and Israel, Iran’s key rivals in the region. Even though the populations of both countries are predominantly Shia Muslim| The Soufan Center
Signs of a growing rift between NATO members emerged this week when the United States imposed sanctions on a number of Turkish entities in response to Ankara’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system| The Soufan Center
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, labeling the recent attack on Saudi oil infrastructure as an 'act of war,' and suggesting that Washington would work with Riyadh to build a coalition of allies to deter future attacks against the kingdom| The Soufan Center
On April 28, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Saudi Arabia to meet with controversial de-facto leader Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), a landmark visit signaling that the two leaders had decided to rebuild relations after a long period of rivalry| The Soufan Center
In mid-June, U.S. officials resumed their long-stalled efforts to mediate an agreement on the maritime border between Israel and Lebanon, as part of a broader campaign to accelerate the development of natural gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean| The Soufan Center
After months of a military stalemate in Libya, Turkish-backed forces are beginning to push back militias commanded by warlord Khalifa Haftar| The Soufan Center
Just last week, France agreed to send war frigates to the eastern Mediterranean, a decision welcomed by Greece and decried by Turkey| The Soufan Center
Several of the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf states have been involved, to varying degrees, in the more than 40 years of internal conflict in Afghanistan that appear to have ended with the Taliban movement’s second takeover of Afghan governance| The Soufan Center
Members of the Taliban’s leadership were on the defensive last week, attempting to downplay reports of infighting within the organization. Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister in the Taliban’s current government configuration| The Soufan Center
Twenty years after being ousted by United States-led forces, the Taliban have returned to power in Afghanistan. Just last week, the Taliban installed several members of the Haqqani Network—an insurgent group and subset of the Taliban—in senior government positions, including Sirajuddin Haqqani as interior minister and Khalil Haqqani| The Soufan Center
U.S. sanctions against the Taliban movement in Afghanistan have been in place, although with periodic modifications, since the 1996-2001 period of Taliban rule. U.S. sanctions imposed during that period were intended to pressure the movement to expel al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and to end abuses against Afghan| The Soufan Center
Recent reports suggest that girls have been able to attend school in Kunduz Province but remain barred from classrooms throughout much of Afghanistan, with many young women destroying evidence of higher education or employment for fear of retribution from the new Taliban government| The Soufan Center
Within weeks of the Taliban’s conquest of Afghanistan in late August, the movement’s leadership indicated that it would not allow foreign jihadist groups, including from Central Asia, to operate on Afghan territory| The Soufan Center
A recently released report by the UN Taliban Sanctions Monitoring Team confirms what many in the counterterrorism community have been warning about — ties between the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda remain strong and could grow stronger after the United States completes its troop withdrawal| The Soufan Center
In recent weeks, the United States has struggled to engineer a safe and orderly exit for Afghans seeking to depart the country, despite being the one to set the extraordinary timeline for an August 31 deadline| The Soufan Center
Throughout the bloody stalemate that is Libya’s civil war, widespread allegations have surfaced that strongman Khalifa Haftar operates as a modern-day warlord seeking to consolidate his grip on power to further his burgeoning criminal enterprises| The Soufan Center
At this month’s ten-year mark since the NATO intervention in Libya that toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Libya strides closer to transitioning from conflict to a tenuous peace| The Soufan Center
UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva have led to a sort of breakthrough, however tenuous, in the formation of an interim government in Libya, known as the Government of National Unity (GNU)| The Soufan Center
As of early May 2012, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy Admiral Ali Fadavi stirred international tensions by alluding to a possible future Iranian naval visit to the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast of the United States.| The Soufan Center
On September 14, 2018, the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, visited a border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela and delivered an unusual warning when speaking about options to address the long-running crisis in Venezuela| The Soufan Center