Steven Heydemann

1 month ago | lawfaremedia.org | Daniel Byman |Steven Heydemann |Jen Patja

Published by The Lawfare Institute in Cooperation With For today's episode, Lawfare Foreign Policy Editor Daniel Byman interviewed Steven Heydemann, the Director of the Middle East Studies Program at Smith College, to assess the fast-changing developments in Syria today.

Jan 15, 2025 | brookings.edu | Steven Heydemann

With the fall of the Assad regime, Syrians now have the opportunity to build the future for which so many fought, died, and suffered over the past 13 years. Whether they will be able to do so is uncertain. Early indicators offer some basis for optimism, yet if Syria’s still-nascent transition is to succeed, a new government will need to move urgently to repair Syria’s devastated economy. Today, most Syrians live in desperate economic conditions.

Sep 30, 2024 | brookings.edu | Jeffrey Feltman |Steven Heydemann |Colin H. Kahl |Mara E. Karlin

Israel’s killing of Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon on September 27, 2024 will have ripple effects across the Middle East. Brookings experts reflect on the implications of the Hezbollah leader’s death. Hezbollah is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s most successful export. Led by Hassan Nasrallah for 32 years, the “party of God” is the most capable and best-armed non-state armed group in the world. It is Iran’s partner, more than a proxy.

Aug 26, 2024 | brookings.edu | Karam Shaar |Steven Heydemann

For the Biden administration, Syria’s ongoing conflict is a minor irritant that occasionally forces itself onto the agenda but for the most part can be ignored. Containing the conflict’s spill-over effects—whether in the form of refugees, narcotics smuggling, friction with Turkey over U.S. support for Kurdish actors and the presence of U.S. forces, or the humanitarian effects of economic collapse—defines the limits of the administration’s interest in Syria.

Aug 2, 2024 | brookings.edu | Steven Heydemann

In late May, Saudi Arabia appointed its first ambassador to Syria since it closed its embassy in Damascus 12 years ago. The Saudi ambassador’s return was only the latest step by the Arab states to normalize relations with the Assad regime. In 2018, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became the first to reestablish ties with Damascus (though it only sent an ambassador to Syria in January 2024).