Amir Toumaj

1 month ago | longwarjournal.org | Seth J. Frantzman |Behnam Ben Taleblu |Caleb Weiss |Amir Toumaj

After 2 years, Iraq claims to be searching for kidnapped researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov | On March 5, Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassem al Araji said that Baghdad is trying to locate kidnapped researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli and Russian citizen who was abducted in March 2023. Israeli officials have blamed Kataib Hezbollah for kidnapping Tsurkov, and her case has received increased attention in the last two months since the Trump administration entered office.

2 months ago | longwarjournal.org | Seth J. Frantzman |Amir Toumaj

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq face an uncertain future | Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, collectively part of the Hashd al Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units), face increasing calls to place their arms under state control or lay them down entirely. The fall of the Assad regime, a new administration in Washington, and the Gaza ceasefire have put these groups under the spotlight in Iraqi politics.

Jan 23, 2025 | longwarjournal.org | Bill Roggio |Amir Toumaj |Caleb Weiss

Tehran’s pawns in Iraq | Bill is joined by show regular Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss Edmund’s latest analysis for FDD’s Long War Journal: The role of Iraqi Shia militias as proxies in Iran’s Axis of Resistance.

Jan 15, 2025 | longwarjournal.org | Mariam Wahba |Amir Toumaj |Thomas Joscelyn

Former HTS fighter Ahmad Hammad al Mansour reportedly detained in Syria after threatening Egyptian president | Ahmad al Mansour, an Egyptian national and former member of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) in Syria, has reportedly been detained in Syria after threatening Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el Sisi. The Islamist militant is an Egyptian Naval Academy graduate with ties to the 2011 Egyptian revolution.

Dec 10, 2024 | longwarjournal.org | Seth J. Frantzman |Thomas Joscelyn |Amir Toumaj

IDF strikes former Syrian regime military sites | Between December 8 and 10, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck more than 300 targets in Syria aimed at eliminating military assets that might fall into the wrong hands and threaten Israel. The strikes targeted air defense systems, missile sites, and Syrian Air Force bases where abandoned warplanes were present. The IDF also eliminated the Syrian Navy fleet.