menu_open Columnists
Jared Szuba

Jared Szuba

Al Monitor

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Over 70 killed in Syria clashes between govt forces, Assad loyalists: monitor

Over 70 killed in Syria clashes between govt forces, Assad loyalists: monitor

More than 70 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Syria in fighting between government security forces and militants loyal to deposed ruler...

07.03.2025 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

UNRWA warns Israel's West Bank operation aligns with annexation 'vision'

UNRWA warns Israel's West Bank operation aligns with annexation 'vision'

A major Israeli offensive which over several weeks has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians and ravaged refugee camps increasingly appears to...

07.03.2025 2

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

48 killed in 'most violent' Syria unrest since Assad ouster: monitor

48 killed in 'most violent' Syria unrest since Assad ouster: monitor

Fierce fighting between Syrian security forces and gunmen loyal to deposed ruler Bashar al-Assad killed 48 people on Thursday, a war monitor said.The ...

07.03.2025 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Saudi Arabia to host US-Ukraine talks on ending war with Russia

Saudi Arabia to host US-Ukraine talks on ending war with Russia

A US delegation is set to be in Saudi Arabia next week, as confirmed by Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in an effort to establish an initial...

07.03.2025 7

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Pentagon deploys more B-52 bombers to Middle East in warning to Iran

Pentagon deploys more B-52 bombers to Middle East in warning to Iran

The United States sent a third sortie of B-52 bombers over the Middle East this week after the aircraft carrier USS Truman returned to the Red Sea.

06.03.2025 5

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

White House rejects Arab plan for postwar Gaza, insists on Trump's

White House rejects Arab plan for postwar Gaza, insists on Trump's

The Trump administration has rejected a joint Arab proposal for postwar Gaza out of hand, insisting on its plan to treat Gaza as a real estate...

05.03.2025 10

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Trump’s Pentagon policy chief pick signals more military pressure on Iran

Trump’s Pentagon policy chief pick signals more military pressure on Iran

Abandoning his prior stance, Elbridge Colby promised that if confirmed, he would provide US military options to the White House to prevent Iran from...

05.03.2025 2

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

At Pentagon, Saudi defense chief pushes for stronger US ties, talks security vis-a-vis Iran

At Pentagon, Saudi defense chief pushes for stronger US ties, talks security vis-a-vis Iran

Riyadh seeks US support to establish a nuclear energy program along with formal defense guarantees from Washington.

25.02.2025 1

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

US launches second B-52 bomber flight over Middle East in 2 days

US launches second B-52 bomber flight over Middle East in 2 days

Strategic bomber sorties come as the Donald Trump administration says it prefers to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment through diplomatic negotiations...

21.02.2025 10

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Pentagon sends B-52 bombers over Middle East as US aims to pressure Iran

Pentagon sends B-52 bombers over Middle East as US aims to pressure Iran

The US military signals continuity in the region as Saudi Arabia hosts Trump’s push for a dramatic reset with Russia over the Ukraine war.

19.02.2025 20

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Trump launches 'reciprocal tariffs' targeting allies and adversaries

US President Donald Trump announced plans Thursday for sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" hitting both allies and competitors, in a dramatic escalation of...

13.02.2025 5

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

US Navy carrier collides with merchant ship near Suez Canal: What to know

The ship's recent departure from the Red Sea has left Middle Eastern waters without a US aircraft carrier for the third time in 15 months.

13.02.2025 7

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Trump administration notifies Congress of $7.4 billion in arms sales to Israel

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration formally notified Congress on Friday of more than $7.4 billion worth of munitions and guidance kits to Israel...

09.02.2025 10

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Rubio heads to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Israel on first Mideast visit

On his second trip abroad as Trump's secretary of state, Marco Rubio is expected to be in full damage-control mode after the president suggested the...

07.02.2025 4

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Trump administration unveils sanctions on Iran oil exports to China

The opening shot of Trump's rebooted "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran comes after the president suggested this week that its leaders should...

07.02.2025 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Meeting with Netanyahu, Trump calls for removal of Palestinians from Gaza

Prior to the bilateral meeting, the White House tried to put a humane spin on Trump's proposal, which critics and experts have likened to ethnic...

05.02.2025 10

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Democrats warn Trump’s USAID freeze may fuel Middle East instability

Lawmakers vowed to challenge the takeover of the agency, with or without the support of Republicans members of Congress.

04.02.2025 4

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Could Trump’s aid freeze to Lebanon army threaten fragile Israel ceasefire?

US funding to Lebanon's armed forces remained in limbo despite the State Department backpedaling on its near-total halt to foreign aid abroad.

01.02.2025 10

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Senate Republicans sponsor bill to redesignate Yemen's Houthis as terror outfit

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair says a stronger stance on Yemen's Houthi rebels will be part of Trump's renewed maximum pressure campaign...

18.01.2025 4

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Trump, Biden vie for credit as Gaza ceasefire awaits Israel’s approval

The president-elect’s nominees for top positions are talking tough as the ceasefire with Israel hangs in the balance.

17.01.2025 4

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

CENTCOM chief in Israel as Biden, Trump clinch Gaza ceasefire deal

Army Gen. Erik Kurilla's latest trip to Israel came in the final days of Biden's presidency, as White House officials sought to capitalize on the...

16.01.2025 2

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Hegseth stresses support for Israel as Senate Dems grill Trump’s Pentagon pick

In a contentious hearing, the former Fox News host signaled a loosening of rules of engagement for troops abroad and stressed his "robust" support for...

15.01.2025 4

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Top US general in Mideast meets Lebanon's Aoun in bid to shore up ceasefire with Israel

CENTCOM commander Gen. Erik Kurilla's final diplomatic tour of the region under President Joe Biden came as the outgoing president defended his...

13.01.2025 8

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

With US-Saudi backing, can Lebanon’s new president rein in Hezbollah?

With top general’s election, the United States and Saudi Arabia aim to draw Lebanon further from Iran. To do that, a new government has to convince...

11.01.2025 10

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Pentagon denies US base at Kobani in Syria's Kurdish-led northeast

Washington publicly denied rumors that US troops would establish a base in the Syrian Kurdish stronghold border town, which remains under threat by...

04.01.2025 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Pentagon says 2,000 US troops in Syria, not 900

The shell games continue in Washington over how many American troops remain in the aftermath of the war against the Islamic State group.

20.12.2024 10

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Top US general meets with Syria’s Kurdish forces after Assad falls

Washington laid out its conditions for a post-Assad government but appears reluctant to leverage its military foothold as Turkish-backed rebels...

11.12.2024 10

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Biden: US troops to remain in Syria 'to ensure stability' after Assad's fall

Washington promises to engage with “all Syrian groups” and come to the aid Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Israel if threats should emanate from Syria...

08.12.2024 6

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Three US troops in Syria evaluated for brain injuries after Deir ez-Zor incident

It remains unclear whether the injured American troops were involved in supporting a nearby effort by US-backed militia to oust pro-Assad forces...

05.12.2024 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

US military in Syria stands down as HTS drives back Assad regime, Kurdish forces

The Biden administration has denied any involvement in a stunning offensive by Turkey-linked Islamist rebels who seized Aleppo, Syria's second...

03.12.2024 4

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

US military to monitor Israel-Lebanon ceasefire alongside UN, France

The Lebanese Army emerges as the lynchpin of a fragile ceasefire as Biden vows no US troops on the ground in south Lebanon.

27.11.2024 4

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Trump stuns Pentagon by naming Fox News host Pete Hegseth defense chief

The president-elect’s made-for-TV decision to name Fox News host Pete Hegseth is reinforcing broad doubts about the seriousness of Trump's foreign...

13.11.2024 2

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Who is Mike Waltz, Iran-hawk to be named as Trump national security adviser?

The former Green Beret and China hawk, who was praised by the president-elect during right-wing media appearances, may soon find himself tasked...

12.11.2024 4

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

US strikes Iran-backed militias in Syria in latest round of retaliation

This was the first wave of retaliatory US strikes against Iran-backed militias acknowledged by CENTCOM in several months.

12.11.2024 5

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Additional US F-15 fighter jets arrive in Jordan as Israel anticipates Iran attack

The Biden administration seeks to dissuade Iran from launching yet another retaliatory attack against Israel amid a drawn-out exchange of strikes...

08.11.2024 10

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Trump’s return bodes both continuity and disruption for fragile Middle East

During his previous term in office, President-elect Trump repeatedly sought to extract US troops from the Middle East, often in a chaotic manner,...

07.11.2024 5

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Pentagon denies role in Israel's Iran strikes after warning against nuclear targets

The Israeli military is signaling to Tehran that it can strike its nuclear facilities from afar with or without direct American support.

28.10.2024 7

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

After UNIFIL attacks, Pentagon urges Israel to wind down Lebanon war 'as soon as feasible'

There's no sign the Biden administration has put any time limit on the Israeli campaign in Lebanon, nor of whether the White House intends to exert...

11.10.2024 2

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Pentagon confirms Israel defense chief Gallant's Washington visit is postponed

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nixed his defense chief's trip as Washington looks for leverage to restrain an Israeli retaliation against...

09.10.2024 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Biden treads fine line on Iran as Israel's Gallant heads to Washington

The Pentagon likened the current crisis in the Middle East to that in Europe prior to the First World War, as the Biden administration seeks to...

07.10.2024 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Israel kept Pentagon in the dark about Beirut strikes, Austin says

The White House ordered the US military to adjust force presence in the Middle East ‘as necessary’ after Israel defied Washington in a bid to kill...

28.09.2024 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

US, Iraq announce end of defeat-ISIS coalition, but troops may stay

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s need for a domestic political win has sent Pentagon officials back to the drawing board to find ways to...

27.09.2024 2

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

US, Iraq announce end of defeat-ISIS coalition

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s need for a domestic political win has sent Pentagon officials back to the drawing board to find ways to...

27.09.2024 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Israel: Pentagon finalizes $8.7B arms package as strikes on Lebanon continue

The Pentagon held talks with Israel's Defense Ministry that resulted in the approval of package in military aid worth $8.7 billion.

26.09.2024 4

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

US, UK militaries deploy troops to Cyprus in case of Lebanon evacuation

Washington has not yet authorized an evacuation, but President Joe Biden acknowledged "all-out war is possible" as Israel mobilizes two reserve...

25.09.2024 6

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

US declares UAE 'major defense partner,' seeking to outbid China

The move put the US-UAE military relationship on the same footing as that between the United States and India.

24.09.2024 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

USS Georgia guided missile submarine arrives in Middle East

The Georgia's arsenal multiplies the US Navy's precision-strike capabilities near Iranian shores as Israel awaits retaliation for the assassination...

11.09.2024 20

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Pentagon shared intel with Israel to thwart Hezbollah attack

Israel's air force and navy overwhelmingly thwarted the attack without need for the US military to shoot down any of Hezbollah's projectiles,...

26.08.2024 3

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Kamala Harris calls for Palestinian 'freedom, dignity,' but no shift on Gaza

The Democratic presidential nominee nodded to a solution that would ensure Palestinian "dignity, security, freedom and self-determination," but...

23.08.2024 2

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba

Pentagon watches closely for signs Iran will attack Israel

The Biden administration is touting this week's last-ditch round of Gaza cease-fire negotiations in a bid to dissuade Iran and its proxies from...

16.08.2024 2

Al Monitor

Jared Szuba