Moadim l’simcha! May this Sukkot be a time of celebration and togetherness for you and your family.

🔴 WATCH | "The size of the forces could've resisted for a least a week or honestly a month, but instead decided to retreat...and therefore handed the Houthis 120km in less than 48 hours," says @IbrahimJalalYE as he breaks down how the most recent #Houthi advance in #Yemen was able to happen so quickly. ICYMI: The newest and first ever video episode of our #GunsForHirePodcast is out now. Watch or listen to the full conversation ➡️ bit.ly/4hkXJvR

🔴 WATCH | "They're trying to take people from schools...indoctrinate them in summer schools and tie the source of families livelihood to the battlefield. And that's a different example of guns for hire at a local level," says @IbrahimJalalYE as he breaks down how #Houthis are conditioning humanitarian aid to recruit fighters in #Yemen. The newest and first-ever video episode of our #GunsForHirePodcast is out now! 🔗 Listen and watch the full conversation here➡️ bit.ly/4hkXJvR

🔴 WATCH | "I have not been encouraged by what I've heard out of Tehran and with the US saying, 'we're comfortable with where the situation sits, we're not in a rush,' I don't think we should expect big things out of UNGA," says #ACMidEast nonresident senior fellow Kirsten Fontenrose on the prospects of US-Iran talks on the margins of UNGA. Watch her full analysis on the state of the Houthi advance in Yemen and Iran war on @CNN's Connect the World here⬇️

💡🌍 "Isolating HTS and refusing meaningful engagement was understandable given the group’s history and designation. But policy cannot stop because a group is designated as a terrorist. The lack of a coherent strategy for Syria ensured minimal and ineffective US influence over the trajectory of the conflict, which had catastrophic consequences for the country and the region," writes Wa'el Alzayat in his new piece analyzing the previous failures of Syria policy in Washington. 🔗Read his full piece on how the US can avoid repeating those mistakes here ⬇️ bit.ly/3V4OQiP

💡 🌍 "The government has made enormous strides in bringing Syria out of global isolation...but where it has failed is in its internal messaging, in connecting to its own people, in openly and transparently explaining the challenges it is facing," writes @IamArwaDamon in her new piece on the state of Syria. 🔗 Read her full analysis here ⬇️ bit.ly/3V0bn0c

G'mar chatima tova! Wishing you a peaceful and reflective Yom Kippur.

📢 Join our team! We're hiring a Program Assistant! This is a unique, entry-level role that sits at the heart of our program and will support our work across the board. Great for recent graduates and all those interested in the Middle East, politics and foreign policy! 🔗 Apply and inquire here ➡️ bit.ly/4ixLQoJ

💡🚢 "A cooperative mechanism could bridge these positions and implicitly trade access to funds for the provision of important services," writes @aliabrahimi in her new pitch for a maritime cooperative mechanism that could solve the Hormuz crisis. "It would also serve as a much-needed local staging ground for technical cooperation, communication, and confidence-building measures," she adds. 🔗Read her full analysis here⬇️ bit.ly/46r1qeM

💡 🇮🇶 "Baghdad increasingly believes that opening the oil sector to US companies could help shield Iraq from further American pressure," writes @yesar in his new piece on the opportunities for US oil deals in Iraq. 🔗 Read his full analysis here ⬇️ bit.ly/4rdos25

Shanah Tovah! Wishing you all a wonderful New Year.

Yesterday, our #ACSyria team and @sams_usa co-hosted a roundtable with Syrian government officials, health experts and humanitarian leaders to discuss challenges facing the Syrian health system and health as a lever for peacebuilding. Check out the highlights below ⬇️

LIVE NOW | #ACIraq discusses US engagement with Iraq and the region after OIR nitter.net/i/broadcasts/1NGarodqD…

💡"Instead of another statement from the chair, Washington should seek a joint statement from participants endorsing the 4+4 agreement and committing participants to support its implementation" writes @talbotfd in his new piece on the UN's Libya roadmap. 🔗 Read his full analysis on how Washington can demonstrate alignment with the UN process ⬇️ bit.ly/3UJnfDA

💡 🇧🇭 "The kingdom encompasses only about three hundred square miles of physical land, but about 2,800 square miles in territorial water area. UDCs can help Bahrain optimize its space," writes Minwa Alkhalifa in her new piece on the opportunities for underwater data centers in Bahrain 🔗 Read her full analysis below⬇️ bit.ly/4yozHY0

As Operation Inherent Resolve concludes, major questions remain about the future of US engagement with Iraq and the region. Join us next Thursday on Sept 10, at 9:00 a.m. ET at the @AtlanticCouncil for a discussion with Amb. Alina Romanowski, @Andrewtabler , and @MohammedASalih, moderated by @humeyra_pamuk. We’ll assess what the US military departure means for counter-ISIS efforts, security cooperation with Baghdad and the KRG, and the broader US-Iraq relationship. Register here to join us in person or virtually: atlanticcouncil.org/event/us…

💡🇯🇴 "By hosting thousands of US troops and not responding militarily after Tehran strikes, Amman risks the perception of a loss of its sovereignty and becoming Iran’s punching bag whenever it lashes out at Washington" writes @AaronMagid in his new piece on the state of Jordan's military deterrence strategy. 🔗Read his full analysis below⬇️ bit.ly/4zWDUUr

🎧 TUNE IN to the newest episode of Guns for Hire podcast where host @aliabrahimi is joined by @SimNasr, Journalist for France24 and Senior Fellow at the Soufan Center. Wassim talks us through the spectacular April 25th offensive across Mali by JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate that looks set to soon make a push to take over the whole country. Listen to the full episode below⬇️ bit.ly/4xGAdQU

💡🌍 " Visitor confidence is harder to rebuild than any damaged airport terminal. If it does not recover, the Gulf will have less revenue to help cover the reconstruction bill," writes @KurtDavisJr in his new piece on the economic quagmire awaiting the Gulf as a result of the Iran war. 🔗 Read his full analysis here⬇️ bit.ly/4qS2yBy

Mawlid al-Nabi mubarak! Wishing you a joyous Mawlid al-Nabi filled with peace and affection.