Join us for an expert conversation on the escalating violence against U.S. forces in Iraq and eastern Syria being launched by Iran-backed militias. Watch live starting at 12:00 noon EST (1700 GMT) on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

Since the Gaza war erupted, Iran-backed militias have targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and eastern Syria more than sixty times and counting, accelerating an already worrisome 2023 trend. To deter further attacks, Washington has ordered at least two strikes on militia bases in Syria. Yet questions remain about the militias’ intentions and the impact that these growing cycles of escalation may have, including on U.S. deployments in the ongoing fight against the Islamic State. To address these questions, The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum featuring Michael Knights, Devorah Margolin, Andrew J. Tabler, and Wladimir van Wilgenburg.

Watch a live webcast of this event starting at 12:00 noon EST (1700 GMT) on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

Michael Knights is the Institute’s Bernstein Fellow and cofounder of its Militia Spotlight platform.

Devorah Margolin is the Institute’s Blumenstein-Rosenbloom Fellow, focusing on terrorism governance, the role of women in violent extremism, and related issues.

Andrew J. Tabler is the Institute’s Martin J. Gross Senior Fellow, former director for Syria at the National Security Council, and former senior advisor to the State Department’s special envoy for Syria engagement.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg is coauthor of the book The Kurds of Northern Syria: Governance, Diversity, and Conflicts and a contributor to the Institute’s Fikra Forum.

The Policy Forum series is made possible through the generosity of the Florence and Robert Kaufman Family.