Dareen Khalifa

An Arab mom and a Senior Advisor, International Crisis Group. Associate Fellow, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, Kings College, London.

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

So wonderful to see your work and leadership recognised in this way. Very well deserved. Congratulations, @EroComfort for making #2 on the list! @CrisisGroup

https://t.co/Z38Od40I2l

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

@RymMomtaz Hah! I appreciate your faith in my analysis (and right back at you!) but believe me I am a hard core foodie, I neither favor falafel nor Ta3meya. I’ll take Mexican food over both any day 😅

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

@RymMomtaz @kshaheen @LizHurra We were doomed the moment we let the Israeli weigh in on this. 😏

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

@LizHurra @kshaheen No one would refer to Russians as a cult.

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

@LizHurra @kshaheen We’re 100 million habibti. Maybe the cult are the minority hating on something they don’t really know?

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

Retirement goals!

[Shipping Man Junior 💹🧲 @ShippingManJr]

Next shisha spot with the boys

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

The least fun part of the job. We’ve all been there and can relate. :)

[Nedal Al-Amari 🇸🇾 @nedalalamari]

President Ahmed al-Sharaa scrolling through Instagram during a UN General Assembly session.

Honestly, I can’t blame him 😂 We hear the same speech every time anyway. Things are getting a little boring.

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

The SDF’s dissolution marks the end of an era and a landmark moment for Syria.

At a time when peace processes are few and far between, the evolving deal between Damascus and Kurdish forces offers both hope and anxiety.

How this integration unfolds could set an important precedent. A new @CrisisGroup piece 👇🏽

[Noah Bonsey @NoahBonsey]

A murder, protests & prison fire last week posed biggest challenge yet to Syria’s integration deal, after landmark understanding on SDF dissolution

In @CrisisGroup piece, Yazer Othman & I unpack progress, obstacles & potential in this pivotal process

https://t.co/hxC36CRMvC

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

@NoorQamarAnwar @CrisisGroup 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

This could be interesting if McGurk acknowledges how spectacularly wrong he was about Idlib and the evolution of HTS, underestimating its significance and overstating the risks of engagement - unforced errors that sustained counterproductive policies which hurt civilians. For reference see our piece:

https://t.co/ObQ1VRT8Nl

Alternatively, maybe he debates Al-Sharaa? “Never wrong, just not right yet” approach is always an option

[Mohammad Ali Shabani @mashabani]

Politics really "has no mother" as we say in Persian.

Not too long ago, McGurk was tasked with fighting ISIS. Now, he's moderating an event with the man sent by Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi to set up Al-Qaida's Syrian branch. The same guy now runs Syria.

What a way to mark 9/11.

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

I agree. I assume expectations of what Egypt is willing and able to offer have been further tempered over the past year.

We attempted to offer a snapshot of Egypt’s positions here:
https://t.co/TlFHZaW6YQ

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

Egypt has its own difficult history in Yemen. I suspect there will be a lot of expressions of solidarity and little else.

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

May Syria always be on his — weird — good side!

[Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X @TrumpTruthOnX]

This is GREAT! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Syria is pitching itself as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz: https://t.co/29YoryNAhl

( TS: Sep 3 2026, 7:18 AM ET )​​​​​​​​‍‌​​​‍​‍‌​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍‍​‌​​​‌‍​‍​‍

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

Insightful assessment by @NoahBonsey with @_NadaAlTaher of @TheNationalNews on what’s driving Israel’s escalation in Syria, the role of US mediation, and a sober take on the extent of Turkey’s actual influence post-Assad.

“What’s behind the Israel-Turkey power struggle in Syria?” https://t.co/aXccTRX2GT

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

جهل مع ثقة غير طبيعية بالنفس 👌🏽

[Amr Waked @amrwaked]

لما الإرهابيين بجد حكموا سوريا، قاموا شالينها من قوائم الإرهاب، والله هو ده اللي حصل.

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

A few points from @USAMBTurkiye’s recent - and refreshingly direct - statements on Israel’s targeting of Syria: Barrack made clear the US doesn’t fully understand why Israel acted when the diplomatic channel appeared to be going well. He hinted Mossad’s chief wasn’t in on the attack, at least while he was speaking to Syria’s FM. His best guess? Israel is trying to “bait Turkey,” while Netanyahu is using it as a pre-election ploy.

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

For context, the base Israel hit is nearly 350 km from the Israeli border and much closer to Turkey. It’s also in an area where thousands of Turkish troops have been deployed for years. So the pretext of a potential Turkish deployment there is just not very convincing.

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

@MaryammSha53272 بجد

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

For context, the base Israel hit is nearly 350 km from the Israeli border and much closer to Turkey. It’s also in an area where thousands of Turkish troops have been deployed for years. So the pretext of a potential Turkish deployment there is just not very convincing.

[Ragıp Soylu @ragipsoylu]

Netanyahu says Syria was about to permit Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo, and that’s why it hit it.

Turkey already has several bases in the same area. What makes this different?

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

The ripple effects of October 7 and the war in Gaza extend far beyond the Arab world, reshaping geopolitics, security dynamics and public opinion in ways that are still unfolding. One example 👇🏽

[Ragıp Soylu @ragipsoylu]

HISTORY in Turkey:

Turkish Parliament approves a law to partially pardon former PKK members as part of peace talk with the group

468 out of 600 MPs vote the support the law.

A broad support from the opposition as well as the ruling parties

@Emrah_zcnn

[Dareen Khalifa @dkhalifa]

Hizbullah Sec-Gen Naim Qassem’s de-escalatory tone re Syria, and his expressed willingness to meet with the Syrian leadership, seems like a welcome message. But it’s not one that would have much practical effect, as it misses the gist of Damascus’s position toward #Hizbullah.