International Politics Weekly

 Over the past seven months, Syria has undergone a stark transformation.  In December of 2024, longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime was overthrown, ending a 24 year long reign of tyranny and fear.  The new president is a former militant, Ahmed al-Sharaa.  al-Sharaa was a member of al-Qaeda in Iraq during the U.S. led invasion, later founding the anti-Assad organization, al-Nusra Front.  The devastating civil war in Syria lasted 13 years, and caused widespread damage and casualties.  The civil war as it was known since 2011 has all but ended with Assad's removal.  However, concerns over potential conflicts still linger, and clashes with Israel, and between groups in southern Syria have further complicated matters.  How sustainable is Syria in its current state? It is undoubtedly a relief for millions of Syrians that Bashar al-Assad's horrific rule has come to an end.  His regime was well known for its cruelty, including the use of chemic...

 Russia and Iran have been noted as becoming ever closer together as their anti-west viewpoints increasingly converge.  Most notably, Moscow and Tehran signed a partnership treaty to bolster cooperation between the two countries.  It must be noted that this is not a defense pact, meaning neither country is obligated to come to the defense of the other in a time of conflict.  The main fear of certain analysts was the possibility of Russia, China, or possibly North Korea, coming to the direct defense of Iran should it be attacked.  When Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran just a few weeks ago, anxieties increased dramatically.  This fear was brought to new heights when the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites directly, a bold move for an administration that has claimed it wants to see peaceful resolutions to global conflicts.  The strikes came and went, Iran struck land near a U.S. military base in Qatar as a form of retaliation-despite the U...