Syria church bombing raises fears ISIS will exploit Iran-Israel war to gain ground As the Iran-Israel war draws in global powers, security vacuums in Syria may be allowing ISIS to reemerge. Syria
Analysis With latest video, Yemen's AQAP seeks relevance, taps into regional outrage The first video address by Yemeni al-Qaeda leader Saad al-Awlaki follows a decline in clashes between the group and the Iran-backed Houthis in what one expert dubbed a "collaborative arrangement." By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Turkey detains dozens of ISIS suspects in raids tied to Syria-based network A nationwide sweep targeted the group's financial and propaganda networks as Ankara steps up efforts to counter the jihadi extremist group in Syria. Turkey
Iran executes 9 'ISIS militants' amid surge in jihadist extremism: What to know While Iran has long claimed full eradication of the Islamic State through a campaign waged by late general Qasem Soleimani, the country has been grappling with a deadly resurgence of the militant group in recent years. Iran
Interview US believes Syria’s Sharaa at risk of assassination, Trump envoy says Tom Barrack US special envoy for Syria
US Syria envoy Barrack says troop drawdown to continue, support for Kurds to remain By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Pentagon seeks massive boost in bomb budget for Iraq, Syria The Defense Department wants $1.8 billion for precision-guided munitions to finish wiping out the Islamic State. Iraq
Pentagon budget retains same troop levels in Iraq, Syria The Donald Trump administration’s new budget for the Pentagon leaves in place nearly 6,000 US troops in Iraq and Syria. Iraq
Despite defeat of IS, Syria war risks major power conflict The United States and Russia should abandon "proxy wars" and back a new UN Security Council resolution for a regional peace conference. Israel
Tillerson travels to Middle East to talk post-IS stability Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey next week. But veteran diplomats warn that US goals for Syria need to be scaled back. Egypt
Islamic State desert bases still headache for Iraq As Iraqi forces continue cleansing the western desert to keep the Syrian-Iraqi border region calm, Islamic State counterattacks in Syria are posing a new risk across the border. Iraq
Turkey upends US Syria strategy with attack on YPG Ankara seeks green light from Moscow, not Washington, in attack on US partner; UN warns of consequences of continued fighting in Eastern Ghouta and Idlib; local council in Aleppo confiscates land of Islamic State families. Syria
IS families lose their homes in Syria’s Akhtarin The local council of Akhtarin, in the Aleppo countryside, is confiscating the properties of former IS and regime fighters to benefit victims of the war. Syria
Iraq backs off plans to double number of US-trained counterterrorism forces With all of Iraq now liberated from the Islamic State, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service is shifting its focus away from large-scale battles. Iraq
Born in the wrong place: Europe's Islamic State offspring With the Islamic State defeated in Iraq and Syria, parents and relatives of European women and children who joined members of the terrorist organization there are calling on their governments to help facilitate the return of the children to their home countries. Iraq
Mattis denies existence of Iranian 'land bridge' across Middle East In an impromptu visit with reporters on Friday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis denied that Iran had succeeded in constructing a "land bridge" through the Middle East. Syria
Is Islamic State back in Kirkuk? Using reactivated sleeper cells and new tactics in Kirkuk, the Islamic State shows it's back in action even as it is about to lose all its territory in Iraq and Syria. Iraq
Iraqi forces hunt down IS remnants in Hamrin Mountains After the declaration of victory against the Islamic State, Iraqi security forces are still hunting small groups of IS fighters in the remote areas. Iraq
