Please note: This article was originally published in Militant Leadership Monitor on May 21 and would normally require a subscription to view. It is being made free for the purpose of publicizing information regarding Yahya Sinwar, who was selected as chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau... MORE

Executive Summary: On July 16, three Islamic State-associated gunmen killed six worshippers at a Shia mosque in Muscat. This was the first al-Qaeda or Islamic State attack in Oman, despite its proximity to Islamist hubs and relatively friendly relationship with Israel. The three attackers were... MORE

Executive Summary: In April, Pakistan and Iran agreed to station liaison officers at their mutual border to coordinate counter-terrorism efforts. Border cooperation will likely reduce local militancy and improve ties between the two states. In January, Pakistan and Iran launched surprise strikes on one another,... MORE

Editor’s Note: The Jamestown Foundation received a letter in response to this article from Eric Xing, President of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. Readers can find the letter in full here, or by scrolling to the bottom of this article. We have... MORE

Executive Summary: Since the United States authorized Kyiv to use Western-provided weapons on Russian territory, Moscow has considered striking back on a new front by providing modern anti-ship missiles to Yemen’s Houthis (Ansarallah), who have been striking shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf... MORE

Executive Summary: Armenia is making moves to distance itself from Russia and reduce economic and military dependence on Moscow through deals with other states, including France, India, and, allegedly, Iran. The expanding military supplies to Armenia are stirring up tensions with neighboring Azerbaijan and threatening... MORE

Executive Summary: Western media outlets have incorrectly portrayed Massoud Pezeshkian, who was elected as Iran’s new president on July 5, as a "moderate" and a "Reformist." Though Pezeshkian’s background as an ethnic Azeri may strengthen efforts to try to calm rising ethnic tensions in Iran,... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin summoned Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to Moscow for a secret meeting the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the US Congress, demonstrating Putin’s scramble to maintain influence in the Middle East. Russia’s renewed interest in the Middle... MORE

Executive Summary: Turkmenistan, a constitutionally mandated neutral and closed off country, has attracted far less attention and played a smaller role than its neighbors in regional trade and transit. Ashgabat has not only become more active abroad but has also reached agreements that will make... MORE

Executive Summary: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is moving Armenian foreign policy away from traditional alliances with Russia and Iran, favoring closer ties with the West which could be an important paradigm shift in its foreign policy after dependence on Moscow and Tehran. Yerevan’s new... MORE