🇸🇾 Syria - The Geopolitical Desk

Will new regional instability give rise to ISIS?

Drone activity, jihadist fractures and regional escalation are all creating a hostile environment that could see the rebirth of ISIS.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 5 Mar 2026

Will new regional instability give rise to ISIS?

Integration, not independence: the Kurdish question recast

Regional political and security developments have forced a recalibration of long-held Kurdish strategies.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 26 Feb 2026

Integration, not independence: the Kurdish question recast

Aleppo, Sheikh Maqsoud and the shifting balance of power

Aleppo is not just another battlefield. It remains Syria’s economic lung, its industrial and commercial backbone, and a core symbol of post-war state reassertion. Any disruption in Aleppo reverberates nationally—politically, economically, and psychologically.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 16 Jan 2026

Aleppo, Sheikh Maqsoud and the shifting balance of power

Is Ahmed al-Sharaa redefining the geopolitical chessboard?

The now-iconic Washington Post photograph of Ahmed al-Sharaa calmly contemplating a chessboard during his visit to Washington reflects the strategy that has defined his rise: a blend of calculation, patience and a willingness to play a long game with pieces others assumed were unwinnable.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 5 Dec 2025

Is Ahmed al-Sharaa redefining the geopolitical chessboard?

What really happened in Suwayda?

A ten-day episode of fighting erupted across Suwayda, in southern Syria, on July 12. What began as a local clash between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin tribal armed groups quickly spiraled into a full-scale tribal war on a national level.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 24 Jul 2025

Washington’s evolving policy and the tribal balance in northeast Syria

With the overthrow of Bashar al‑Assad on December 8, 2024, the diplomatic cards in Syria have been completely reshuffled, ushering in a new phase of uncertainty and opportunity. In this context, the United States is subtly but significantly recalibrating its posture in northeast Syria.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 17 Jul 2025

Washington’s evolving policy and the tribal balance in northeast Syria

A quiet realignment in the Middle East

A quiet realignment in the Middle East sees Tehran, Arab states, and Washington converge on de-escalation amid shared interests. As Iran's threat perception shifts, Arab diplomacy grows crucial, while the Trump administration's pragmatic approach offers a path for regional stability and cooperation.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 13 May 2025

A new opening for the Levant

Recent shifts in the Levant signal a transformative geopolitical landscape, marked by Bashar Assad's fall and Gulf states normalizing ties with Syria and Lebanon. As Iran retreats, regional powers must seize this moment to foster stability and collaboration, avoiding past mistakes.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 29 Jan 2025

A digital collage of Middle Eastern and global political figures, including Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Donald Trump, Mohammed bin Zayed, Mohammed bin Salman, and others, standing on a chessboard.