Jared Malsin
@jmalsin.bsky.social
WSJ journalist based in Istanbul. Former Middle East bureau chief for TIME. Turning and turning in the widening gyre.
https://www.wsj.com/news/author/jared-malsin
https://www.wsj.com/news/author/jared-malsin
Reposted by Jared Malsin
Whatever you think of the Washington Post at this moment, here's a chance to support the dedicated, hard-working journalists who were just laid off. If you have the means, your donation is most welcome. If you don't, a kind thought and maybe spreading the word to others is support enough 💙
Donate to Washington Post 2026 layoff fund, organized by Rachel Siegel
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, The Washington Post laid off hundreds of journalists. We ar… Rachel Siegel needs your support for Washington Post 2026 layoff fund
www.gofundme.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Whatever you think of the Washington Post at this moment, here's a chance to support the dedicated, hard-working journalists who were just laid off. If you have the means, your donation is most welcome. If you don't, a kind thought and maybe spreading the word to others is support enough 💙
Can’t think of any reason why you would need reporters covering the Middle East, Ukraine and China right now.
February 4, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Can’t think of any reason why you would need reporters covering the Middle East, Ukraine and China right now.
Middle East powers are pushing for a US-Iran summit in Turkey later this week. The urgency is increasing.
"The region’s unprecedented harmony is a measure of shared anxiety: that a U.S. strike on Iran would export chaos—refugees, militancy, instability." www.wsj.com/world/middle...
"The region’s unprecedented harmony is a measure of shared anxiety: that a U.S. strike on Iran would export chaos—refugees, militancy, instability." www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Middle East Pushes for Iran-U.S. Meeting to Head Off Attack
A flurry of diplomatic activity reflects concerns that military action could destabilize the region.
www.wsj.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Middle East powers are pushing for a US-Iran summit in Turkey later this week. The urgency is increasing.
"The region’s unprecedented harmony is a measure of shared anxiety: that a U.S. strike on Iran would export chaos—refugees, militancy, instability." www.wsj.com/world/middle...
"The region’s unprecedented harmony is a measure of shared anxiety: that a U.S. strike on Iran would export chaos—refugees, militancy, instability." www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Jared Malsin
Iranian security bodies are out in force on the streets, with citizens still left in the dark of an Internet blackout.
“It seems like the internet is going to be cut permanently, and this is really horrifying,” one protestor said. “They want to kill us all.”|My piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social
“It seems like the internet is going to be cut permanently, and this is really horrifying,” one protestor said. “They want to kill us all.”|My piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social
‘They want to kill us all’: fear replaces hope in Iran as...
Cut off from the rest of the world, the tens of thousands of Iranians who protested against the regime are feeling the full force of its brutal crackdown
observer.co.uk
January 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Iranian security bodies are out in force on the streets, with citizens still left in the dark of an Internet blackout.
“It seems like the internet is going to be cut permanently, and this is really horrifying,” one protestor said. “They want to kill us all.”|My piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social
“It seems like the internet is going to be cut permanently, and this is really horrifying,” one protestor said. “They want to kill us all.”|My piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social
An important shift in the balance of power in Syria took place today when Sharaa forced concessions from the SDF in a lightning military operation coinciding with a mass defection by Arab factions previously allied with the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led group.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Syrian President Forces Major Concessions From U.S.-Backed SDF in Cease-Fire Deal
Pro-government forces a seize military base, oil facilities and a dam on the Euphrates river in a weekend offensive before reaching a truce with the Kurdish-led militia.
www.wsj.com
January 18, 2026 at 6:41 PM
An important shift in the balance of power in Syria took place today when Sharaa forced concessions from the SDF in a lightning military operation coinciding with a mass defection by Arab factions previously allied with the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led group.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Jared Malsin
The banking crisis that led to the current unrest in Iran. Detailed account by @jmalsin.bsky.social of @wsj.com . www.wsj.com/world/middle...
The Obscure Bank Collapse That Sent Iran Into a Tailspin
Bad loans to regime cronies brought down Ayandeh Bank, accelerating a long-running financial crisis.
www.wsj.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:55 AM
The banking crisis that led to the current unrest in Iran. Detailed account by @jmalsin.bsky.social of @wsj.com . www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Jared Malsin
In many ways, this reminds me of the GDR, only with much worse brutality. How Syrians have suffered is beyond any imagination.
Our just-published investigation into Assad's surveillance state which revealed how the former regime urged friends, spouses, and neighbors to inform on each other, leaving a legacy of broken trust that will take years to unravel. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Families, Neighbors Informed on Each Other in Assad’s Syria, With Deadly Consequences
Intelligence files found in a Damascus prison complex reveal cases that led to brutal detentions; a wife records a husband.
www.wsj.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:46 AM
In many ways, this reminds me of the GDR, only with much worse brutality. How Syrians have suffered is beyond any imagination.
Our just-published investigation into Assad's surveillance state which revealed how the former regime urged friends, spouses, and neighbors to inform on each other, leaving a legacy of broken trust that will take years to unravel. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Families, Neighbors Informed on Each Other in Assad’s Syria, With Deadly Consequences
Intelligence files found in a Damascus prison complex reveal cases that led to brutal detentions; a wife records a husband.
www.wsj.com
December 29, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Our just-published investigation into Assad's surveillance state which revealed how the former regime urged friends, spouses, and neighbors to inform on each other, leaving a legacy of broken trust that will take years to unravel. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Jared Malsin
“I will keep killing to keep Bashar Assad in power... I will kill half the country if I have to.”
My colleagues @jmalsin.bsky.social and Summer Said on the notorious architect of the Assad regimes campaign to kill and collectively punish the Syrian people
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
My colleagues @jmalsin.bsky.social and Summer Said on the notorious architect of the Assad regimes campaign to kill and collectively punish the Syrian people
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
The Hunt for Assad’s Brutal Enforcer
Jamil Hassan left behind a legacy of deaths and torture when he escaped the Syrian revolution last year. Now his former victims are trying to bring him to justice.
www.wsj.com
December 12, 2025 at 8:57 AM
“I will keep killing to keep Bashar Assad in power... I will kill half the country if I have to.”
My colleagues @jmalsin.bsky.social and Summer Said on the notorious architect of the Assad regimes campaign to kill and collectively punish the Syrian people
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
My colleagues @jmalsin.bsky.social and Summer Said on the notorious architect of the Assad regimes campaign to kill and collectively punish the Syrian people
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
U.S. intelligence agencies found that the U.A.E. increased supplies of weapons, including advanced Chinese-made drones, to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan this year, pouring fuel on a civil war that has killed as many as 150,000 people. | New from me & WSJ colleagues:
www.wsj.com/world/how-u-...
www.wsj.com/world/how-u-...
Exclusive | How U.A.E. Arms Bolstered a Sudanese Militia Accused of Genocide
Reports by U.S. intelligence agencies show an increase in the flow of materiel from the U.A.E. to the rebel Rapid Support Forces since the spring, according to U.S. officials.
www.wsj.com
October 28, 2025 at 7:18 PM
U.S. intelligence agencies found that the U.A.E. increased supplies of weapons, including advanced Chinese-made drones, to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan this year, pouring fuel on a civil war that has killed as many as 150,000 people. | New from me & WSJ colleagues:
www.wsj.com/world/how-u-...
www.wsj.com/world/how-u-...
Egypt: Journalist Detained over Facebook Posts
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
Egypt: Journalist Detained over Facebook Posts
Egyptian authorities detained prominent independent journalist Ismail Iskandarani over Facebook posts.
www.hrw.org
October 8, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Egypt: Journalist Detained over Facebook Posts
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
NEW: The Trump administration is seeking congressional approval for nearly $6 billion in weapons for Israel including attack helicopters and military vehicles, even as Israel launched its attack in Qatar and new offensive in Gaza City: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Exclusive | U.S. Plans $6 Billion in New Arms Sales to Israel
The Trump administration is seeking congressional approval for the sales, moving forward despite Israel’s recent missile strike on Hamas in Qatar.
www.wsj.com
September 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
NEW: The Trump administration is seeking congressional approval for nearly $6 billion in weapons for Israel including attack helicopters and military vehicles, even as Israel launched its attack in Qatar and new offensive in Gaza City: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Jared Malsin
Inside Syria's death factory: Assad's regime carried out industrial-scale torture and executions that killed tens of thousands over more than a decade. "The worst atrocity of the 21st century" in terms of government involvement. @jmalsin.bsky.social Hamza Bonduk www.wsj.com/world/middle...
A Syrian Death Factory Gives Up Its Secrets
Under the Assad regime, Saydnaya prison became a mass-killing machine; ‘a symbol of shame for the whole world.’
www.wsj.com
July 10, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Inside Syria's death factory: Assad's regime carried out industrial-scale torture and executions that killed tens of thousands over more than a decade. "The worst atrocity of the 21st century" in terms of government involvement. @jmalsin.bsky.social Hamza Bonduk www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Since December we have been investigating the Assad regime's killings in Saydnaya prison.
Based on interviews with 21 former detainees, we show the extent of the atrocities committed in the prison, including an incident in March 2023 in which some 600 men were executed in one week:
Based on interviews with 21 former detainees, we show the extent of the atrocities committed in the prison, including an incident in March 2023 in which some 600 men were executed in one week:
A Syrian Death Factory Gives Up Its Secrets
Under the Assad regime, Saydnaya prison became a mass-killing machine; ‘a symbol of shame for the whole world.’
www.wsj.com
July 9, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Since December we have been investigating the Assad regime's killings in Saydnaya prison.
Based on interviews with 21 former detainees, we show the extent of the atrocities committed in the prison, including an incident in March 2023 in which some 600 men were executed in one week:
Based on interviews with 21 former detainees, we show the extent of the atrocities committed in the prison, including an incident in March 2023 in which some 600 men were executed in one week:
An initial US intelligence assessment says US strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program by a few months and did not destroy underground structures at two of the sites. Our take (first reported today by CNN and NYT): www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
U.S. Strikes Set Back Iran Nuclear Program by a Few Months, Initial Report Says
A preliminary classified intelligence report produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency counters the White House’s claims of more extensive damage.
www.wsj.com
June 24, 2025 at 9:52 PM
An initial US intelligence assessment says US strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program by a few months and did not destroy underground structures at two of the sites. Our take (first reported today by CNN and NYT): www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Israeli forces intercepted a sailboat carrying activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who planned to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade on the enclave. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Gaza-Bound Activist Boat With Greta Thunberg On Board Intercepted by Israel
Activist Thunberg planned to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade on the enclave.
www.wsj.com
June 9, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Israeli forces intercepted a sailboat carrying activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who planned to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade on the enclave. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
The Trump administration has stopped financing new weapons sales to Ukraine and is considering freezing weapons shipments from U.S. stockpiles, current and former U.S. officials said // New from Nancy Youssef and me: www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
U.S. Hitting Brakes on Flow of Arms to Ukraine
The Trump administration has stopped financing new weapons sales to Ukraine and is considering freezing weapons shipments from U.S. stockpiles, current and former U.S. officials said.
www.wsj.com
March 3, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The Trump administration has stopped financing new weapons sales to Ukraine and is considering freezing weapons shipments from U.S. stockpiles, current and former U.S. officials said // New from Nancy Youssef and me: www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
From his island prison cell near Istanbul, the PKK's leader calls on his group to disarm and disband after a 40-year war with the Turkish state. The potential consequences for the region are vast if the militant group and its affiliates heed the call: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Jailed Kurdish Militant Leader Calls on Followers to Disarm, End 40-Year Conflict With Turkey
The call from Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the PKK, could have far-reaching consequences for Turkey, Syria, and the broader region.
www.wsj.com
February 27, 2025 at 8:25 PM
From his island prison cell near Istanbul, the PKK's leader calls on his group to disarm and disband after a 40-year war with the Turkish state. The potential consequences for the region are vast if the militant group and its affiliates heed the call: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Trump revoked the NSM-20, a little known but important Biden directive requiring key US weapons recipients to certify their compliance with international law: wapo.st/3ETH2bD
Trump repeals Biden directive linking U.S. arms to human rights
Rescission of the order, imposed by President Joe Biden as he struggled with the civilian toll caused by Israel’s war in Gaza, comes as Trump puts his mark on U.S. foreign policy.
wapo.st
February 24, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Trump revoked the NSM-20, a little known but important Biden directive requiring key US weapons recipients to certify their compliance with international law: wapo.st/3ETH2bD
Maha Yahya argues the Middle East needs a Marshall Plan: "The World Bank and UN organizations have estimated that rebuilding the Middle East and providing enough humanitarian aid will cost between $350 and $650 billion." www.foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/...
The Fatal Flaw of the New Middle East
Gaza, Syria, and the region’s next crisis.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 20, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Maha Yahya argues the Middle East needs a Marshall Plan: "The World Bank and UN organizations have estimated that rebuilding the Middle East and providing enough humanitarian aid will cost between $350 and $650 billion." www.foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/...
Reposted by Jared Malsin
Fascinating glimpse of what the Syrian Mukhabarat was up to as their world crumbled, by @wsj.com’s Isabel Coles, @jmalsin.bsky.social, and Asmaa al-Omar. www.wsj.com/world/middle... (Jan 29.)
What Syria’s Secret Police Saw as the Regime Crumbled
Hastily abandoned documents show how the fallen government’s vast intelligence apparatus struggled to comprehend and stop the rapid rebel advance.
www.wsj.com
February 19, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Fascinating glimpse of what the Syrian Mukhabarat was up to as their world crumbled, by @wsj.com’s Isabel Coles, @jmalsin.bsky.social, and Asmaa al-Omar. www.wsj.com/world/middle... (Jan 29.)
Israel is seeking a second extension to the implementation of the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, creating more friction at a time when the truces in both Lebanon and Gaza are at risk: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Israel Wants to Extend Presence in Lebanon, Testing Trump Diplomacy
The cease-fire deal requires Israel’s troops to be out by Feb. 18, but the country is seeking an extension.
www.wsj.com
February 15, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Israel is seeking a second extension to the implementation of the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, creating more friction at a time when the truces in both Lebanon and Gaza are at risk: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Jared Malsin
“U.S. intelligence agencies concluded during the final days of the Biden administration that Israel is considering significant strikes on Iranian nuclear sites this year,” report @wsj.com’s @alexward.bsky.social, Dov Lieber, and @jmalsin.bsky.social.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
February 12, 2025 at 10:10 PM
“U.S. intelligence agencies concluded during the final days of the Biden administration that Israel is considering significant strikes on Iranian nuclear sites this year,” report @wsj.com’s @alexward.bsky.social, Dov Lieber, and @jmalsin.bsky.social.
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Israel is considering significant strikes on Iranian nuclear sites this year according to officials familiar with the intelligence. New from me and WSJ colleagues: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Exclusive | Israel Sees Opening for Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites, U.S. Intelligence Warned
The assessment near the end of President Biden’s term found that the risks have increased as Tehran has been weakened.
www.wsj.com
February 12, 2025 at 9:42 PM
U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Israel is considering significant strikes on Iranian nuclear sites this year according to officials familiar with the intelligence. New from me and WSJ colleagues: www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Importantly, Trump sent this arms sale to congress overriding a hold by Democrats in congress, breaking with the usual process for review of foreign arms sales.
🚨 JUST IN: US rolls out > $6 Billion Arms sale to Israel :
1- Munitions, Guidance Kits, Fuzes, and Munitions Support and related equipment for an estimated cost of $6.75 billion
2- AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $660 million
1- Munitions, Guidance Kits, Fuzes, and Munitions Support and related equipment for an estimated cost of $6.75 billion
2- AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $660 million
February 7, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Importantly, Trump sent this arms sale to congress overriding a hold by Democrats in congress, breaking with the usual process for review of foreign arms sales.