Syrian Civil War

The Middle East's conflicts are analyzed through the lens of 'proxies and levers,' where state actors use non-state groups to project power and achieve strategic goals. This approach, while avoiding direct military costs, often results in prolonged violence, instability, and humanitarian crises, complicating peace efforts in the region.

Field Marshal Asim Munir recently told Shia clerics that those who “love Iran so much” should “go to Iran” — a remark widely condemned by community leaders as provocative and offensive. But the Shia-Sunni divide in the Islamic world is not new

While the current conflict is largely a war involving three countries — two vs one, Iran’s decision to bomb Gulf countries in retaliation of US-Israeli strikes has brought to fore the decades-old Shia-Sunni tensions, always simmering underneath

#KashmirBleeds_WorldSleeps was trending on Pakistan Twitter recently. An image tweeted under this hashtag shows a woman donning hijab, bleeding from her forehead. The text in the tweet reads, “Picture says everything #KashmirBleeds_WorldSleeps.”

The syrian civil war, now in its fifth year, involves multiple countries with overlapping and at times conflicting agendas. Here is where some of the main foreign actors stand.

Syria's civil war foes held their first face-to-face meetings on Saturday, launching talks aimed at ending nearly three years of conflict which has killed 130,000 people and destabilized the wider Middle East.

Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israel strike, with his burial planned for Mashhad. The assassination marks a significant escalation, with US President Trump calling it justice and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu noting signs of his demise.

The syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has ravaged the lives of millions and divided the country into at least six ‘independent’ regions controlled by forces inside & outside the country. Sadly, it’s a war the world almost forgot

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied fleeing Syria as part of a pre-arranged plan. In a Facebook statement, Assad claimed he left Damascus on December 8th after rebels seized the capital, initially relocating to a Russian base. He insisted on continuing the fight but was evacuated to Russia following drone attacks on the base.

His remarks came after President Donald Trump announced targeted strikes on Syria in collaboration with the UK and France to retaliate against the April 7 chemical attack in the Syrian town of Duma.

Russia has warned that jihadi fighters connected to al-Qaida are replacing genuine opposition fighters in Syria, putting the whole world at risk.

Syrian President Bashar Assad fled the country on Sunday, ending his 14-year rule marked by brutal civil war. Initially seen as a potential reformer, Assad resorted to his father's oppressive tactics when protests erupted in 2011. He relied on his Alawite sect and support from Iran and Russia, while unleashing his military on opposition cities.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad secretly fled the country as rebel forces closed in on Damascus, ending his family's 50-year rule. Assad's departure, shrouded in secrecy, left his government in disarray. Rebel forces swiftly captured the capital, promising an inclusive government despite concerns over their past. International powers are now working to shape Syria's transition.

‘Agra’ — a film by SRFTI alumnus Kanu Behl — has been selected to premiere in the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight segment of this edition’s Cannes Film Festival. The film is an exploration of sexual dynamics within a family. Delighted with Behl’s achievement, the institute is now planning to invite and felicitate him once he is back from Cannes.

The second National Convention on West Asian Studies began in the city on Thursday.

Photographs capturing the horrors of Syria, Ukraine, Gaza don’t influence public opinion because we consume too many images, switching between tragedy and frivolity

Any number of many things. When a man designated by US as a terrorist gives interviews to CNN as a liberator, you know the ‘new’ won’t be normal. Turkiye seems the biggest winner at this point, Iran, the biggest loser

There aren't too many children who can say US President Barack Obama read a letter they wrote to him. But six-year old New Yorker Alex can tell all his friends that Obama not only read his letter about a Syrian refugee, but also hailed it the spirit it embodied as exemplary.

Understanding the factor's that led to the Syrian regime's collapse is key to putting pieces of the country back together

Israeli troops are striking Hezbollah targets in neighboring Syria and drilling for what could be an invasion of Lebanon. Hezbollah is beefing up its own forces and threatening to invade Israel. The bitter enemies routinely exchange warnings and threats.

Four French police officers have been charged in connection to the beating and racial abuse of a black music producer, a judicial source said Monday, days after the incident in Paris that intensified controversy over a new security law.

Things changed drastically in 1979 with the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Ayatollah Khomeini came to power, and the country transformed into an Islamic Republic, officially opposing Israel. Nonetheless, Iran and Israel continued to work together clandestinely, particularly during the Iran-Iraq War. Both nations saw the benefit of undermining Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, which posed a larger threat to their security. Israel provided arms to Iran, a move designed to weaken Iraq, despite the official US embargo on such military assistance.

Iran's president on Sunday lashed out at criticism of authorities' lagging response to the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East, saying the government has to weigh economic concerns as it takes measures to contain the pandemic. Syria meanwhile reported the first fatality from the virus in the war-torn country, which has five confirmed infections

Fresh clashes erupted in southern Syria between Druze armed groups and Bedouin clans, prompting government forces to redeploy after a fragile ceasefire. The renewed violence follows earlier fighting where government forces sided with Bedouins, leading to Israeli airstrikes in defense of the Druze.