Syria restores Raqqa oil field in former ISIS stronghold: What to know Before Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, national oil production stood at between 400,000 and 500,00 barrels per day before falling to under 100,000 bpd during the conflict. Syria
Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border. Turkey
Iraq's Shiite alliance nominates Ali al-Zaidi as PM candidate: What to know Ali al-Zaidi, who leads a bank accused of money laundering, received support from previous nominee Nouri al-Maliki and incumbent Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, though it remains unclear whether the Trump administration will approve of him. Iraq
Trump says Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended by three weeks President Trump said the second meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese envoys went "very well." Lebanon
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds? By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US pushes to reintegrate militants after Islamic State fight A senior State Department official told Al-Monitor the administration is working to help Middle Eastern and African countries reintegrate thousands of fighters who joined the Islamic State and its affiliates. Saudi Arabia
Democratic leader pours cold water on Tulsi Gabbard’s bid to force Syria withdrawal The House’s No. 2 Democrat dealt a major blow to Tulsi Gabbard’s effort to force President Donald Trump to pull the remaining US troops out of Syria. Syria
Report: China, Russia worried about militants' return from Syria Beijing and Moscow are concerned that citizens who left to fight with jihadi groups in Syria could stoke radicalization at home following their return. Syria
Acrimony erupts ahead of NATO summit as Turkey stalls defense plans Turkey is impeding a military plan to defend Poland and the Baltics to force the alliance to support its military operation in Syria. The spat underscores political divisions that are shaking NATO ahead of its anniversary summit this week. Turkey
Despite stepped-up military actions, Turkey still faces jihadi threats Ankara’s past haphazard policies complicate crackdown on IS; Iran hard-liners gain from protests; Syrian Kurds may not give up sales of Syrian oil to Damascus. Iraq
Amid ongoing unrest, Iraq refuses to receive IS detainees from Syria Though Iraq previously said it would receive and prosecute foreign Islamic State fighters from Syria, it has now rescinded its offer. Iraq
IS designates Turkey as its next base The Islamic State has selected Turkey as its next base to reorganize, recruit and plan. Iraq
Can EU's fear of terrorists give Turkey clout in ocean drilling? Following his threats to flood Europe with Syrian refugees, the Turkish president is now trying to use Islamic State suspects as leverage. Syria
Turkey’s fight against IS riddled with black holes Ankara may boast about how many Islamic State members it has captured, but its handling of IS suspects on the ground, especially in deportation centers, speaks of a slipshod attitude to the problem. Syria
IS kills priests in Syria as Turkish-backed fighters express IS sympathies Two Armenian Catholic priests are killed by the Islamic State near Hasakah and pro-Turkish Syrian fighters are reported to have hoisted the Islamic State flag in Ras al-Ain. Syria
Turkey-Europe ties brace for fresh rift over stateless IS militants The fate of foreign Islamic State militants captured in Syria is looming as a big headache for Turkey as many of them are now stateless, expelled from the citizenship of European countries. Syria
Tulsi Gabbard lays groundwork to force divisive vote on Syria withdrawal Presidential hopeful Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, could trigger a House vote forcing President Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Syria — but it’s dividing the anti-war movement. Syria
