Last month, the Emir of Qatar and the Sultan of Oman visited Moscow, where they met with President Vladimir Putin. These visits to the Kremlin highlight Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members’ efforts to deepen ties with Russia across geopolitical, security, energy, economic, and diplomatic fronts. Such engagements affirm Moscow’s enduring
In 2002, when the People’s Mojahedin Organization, the exiled opposition group of the Islamic Republic of Iran, revealed the hidden aspects of Iran’s nuclear industry development in a hotel in Washington, the international community, including the Arab countries of the region and the Persian Gulf monarchies, felt fear and vulnerability
Oman, an oasis of peace and stability in the turbulent Middle East, largely attributes its foreign policy’s success to its neutrality. Omani diplomacy has the potential to help President Donald J. Trump fulfill his 2024 campaign pledge to become a peacemaker in the Middle East. Omanis stress that their neutrality
In this episode of Orion Talks, host Marta Furlan talks with Prof David Des Roches on the recent developments in Yemen as the US revisits its approach to the country under President Trump. Prof Des Roches starts by discussing the US approach to Yemen and the Houthis, over the past
In this episode of Orion Talks, host Marta Furlan talks with Mr. Abdulghani Al-Iryani on the recent developments in Yemen as the US revisits its approach to the country under President Trump. To start, Mr. Al-Iryani offers an overview of the current state of affairs in Yemen, focusing on the
Saudi Arabia’s “positive neutrality” foreign policy doctrine is serving Riyadh’s interests. Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) has shrewdly navigated international crises, projecting the kingdom to the “forefront of world statecraft.” This has been underscored by the important Saudi role in hosting and/or mediating talks on ending
The longer-term geopolitical ramifications of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other armed groups overthrowing Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December have yet to be fully realized. Yet, a little more than two months into Syria’s post-Ba’athist period, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members and Turkey have, at least so far, emerged as
Orion Policy Institute, in cooperation with the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends Programme (XCEPT), hosted a live webinar on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, between 10:00-11:00 AM EST (3:00-4:00 PM GMT) titled, “Navigating Relations with Syria’s New Leadership.” The panelists included: 1. Broderick McDonald, Conflict Researcher at the University of
On December 8, 2024, within 13 days, Syrian opposition militias entered Damascus from Idlib, a city in northwestern Syria bordering Turkey, with the political and moral support of the Turks, and with the escape of the ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Russia, they were able to destroy the Assad
In this episode of Orion Talks, host Marta Furlan talks with Mr. Giorgio Cafiero on the approach of the Gulf monarchies towards the new government in Syria led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and we will discuss how Gulf countries may end up shaping future events in Syria. After reviewing the
In this episode of Orion Talks, host Marta Furlan talks with Mr. Marcos Sebares Jimenez-Blanco on the battle of narratives around Syria. With the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Russia and Iran have lost an important ally in the Middle East that was key to their capacity to
Quoted in Business Insider’s article, our Senior Fellow Suleyman Ozeren shared his views about the post-Assad defense and security posture in Syria, the prospect of rebuilding a new army, Turkey’s potential key role in the process, and the regional governments’ approach and engagement with Al-Sharaa and his HTS’ rule in
