| CARVIEW |
US forces completed their withdrawal from Ain al Assad Airbase, the Iraqi government said on January 18, fulfilling a US agreement with Iraqi authorities going back to 2024. The withdrawal took place as Syrian government forces pushed back the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria. On January 21, US Central Command said it would transfer up to 7,000 Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq. Read more →
Israel continued military operations in Lebanon between January 12 and January 18, 2026. Israeli activities were largely concentrated north of the Litani River, with mainly policing activities occurring south of the waterway. Read more →
An assessment published by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) this week points to a sharp reduction in Palestinian-perpetrated terrorist activity across the West Bank in 2025. The IDF attributed the decline to sustained counterterrorism operations in the territory throughout last year. However, despite the figures, there are signs that West Bank terrorist organizations are attempting to renew their efforts. Read more →
Syrian government forces advancing into eastern Syria are increasingly taking over areas where Islamic State members have been held in prisons and detention facilities by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF said it lost control of Al Shaddadi prison, and the Syrian government asserted that it would secure the facility and round up prisoners who may have fled. Clashes also occurred near Aqtan prison north of Raqqa. Read more →
Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shiite militia, warned the United States that if Washington launched a war with Iran, the group would attack American bases in the region. The threat comes amid rising tension between Washington and Tehran as the Islamic Republic continues a brutal crackdown on demonstrations that began nearly three weeks ago. Read more →
The US military killed Al Qaeda leader Bilal Hasan al Jasim in an airstrike in Syria on January 16. US Central Command (CENTCOM) directly linked Jasim to the December 13, 2025, attack that killed two US soldiers and a civilian contractor in Syria. CENTCOM and the Al Qaeda-linked Syrian government have maintained that the December attack was carried out by the Islamic State, despite stating Jasim's role in the operation, and the fact that Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are enemies. Read more →
On January 16, the White House announced a number of appointments to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) and the Board of Peace, which will support the stabilization and demilitarization of Gaza, after the Gaza ceasefire, which began in October, moved into its second phase on January 14. The Israel Defense Forces clashed with gunmen in the territory on January 14 and responded with airstrikes. Read more →
Following intense fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi ordered the withdrawal of his personnel from contested areas of Aleppo province. Read more →
Kurdish opposition groups in northwestern Iran have actively supported protests against the Iranian regime during the first two weeks of January. Amid the Iranian government’s crackdown, seven Kurdish parties have called for unity and supported a general strike. One group, the Kurdistan Freedom Party, has claimed several attacks on the regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Read more →
After military defeat abroad and at home, where the economy also has collapsed, the Islamic Republic is weaker than ever, and the Iranian people know it. The regime is facing a nationwide uprising unlike anything seen in decades, with Iranians across class, age, and ideology back in the streets. And they’re no longer asking for reform—they’re demanding an end to the Islamic Republic itself. Meanwhile, President Trump warned that US military action is on the table if the regime slaughters protesters. As we record, a brutal crackdown is underway with reports of hundreds of Iranians killed and tens of thousands arrested. Is this the moment? Read more →
Israel continued military operations in Lebanon between January 5 and January 11. Israel Defense Forces activities included strikes on Hezbollah assets and personnel, including targets involved in the group’s regeneration efforts south of the Litani River after the Lebanese Armed Forces had certified taking control of the area. Read more →
In the week following Washington’s arrest of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, regime figures like interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello are jockeying for position and deciding how to move forward. Rodriguez and US President Donald Trump have offered conflicting views on who holds true authority, while the US has provided no established plans for a transition or elections. Simultaneously, the US blockade on sanctioned oil tankers remains in force, and Trump is making efforts to secure 30-50 million barrels of Venezuela’s crude oil while trying to convince US oil companies to invest. Read more →
Iran’s protest movement has now entered its third week, and the regime is struggling to contain the unrest. Islamic Republic authorities fear disobedience within the ranks, and reports of potential defections point to growing anxiety inside the security apparatus. Washington is assessing options to strike regime sites. Read more →
US Central Command stated that the strikes were in “direct response to the deadly ISIS [Islamic State] attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria, on Dec. 13, 2025.” However, the Islamic State has not claimed credit for that attack, which was carried out by a member of the Syrian security forces that are largely comprised of Al Qaeda’s former branch in Syria and Al Qaeda-allied groups. Read more →
The Popular Forces militia claimed that it eliminated two members of Hamas. The group and its anti-Hamas allies continue to operate in Gaza despite threats by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist factions to dismantle the organizations. Read more →
