Islamic State

Demonstrators ride through a street while waving Syrian flags

Analysis

Why Syria and Iraq are taking different approaches to armed groups

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

Ammar Karim / AFP via Getty Images

US troops exit Iraq after 12 years as Iran war reshapes regional security

The Pentagon is completing its troop withdrawal under a 2024 agreement with Baghdad, but the move risks leaving Kurdish allies vulnerable to attack while potentially ceding ground to Tehran’s long-term influence.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

A member of Syria's security forces stands guard outside a former army base near the city of Quneitra in southern Syria, on the edge of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on Sept. 21, 2025.

Feature

Syria Golan detentions fuel fury at Israeli forces, doubts in new government

Israeli forces have detained hundreds of Syrians and continue to conduct strikes and incursions in Quneitra, fueling resentment among residents who say Damascus has failed to protect them.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

AFP via Getty Images

Iraq sentences kidnapper of US journalist Shelly Kittleson to 15 years: What to know

The first sentencing in relation to Shelly Kittleson’s abduction comes as Iraq moves to rein in Iran-backed militias.

Latest News

Syria announces capture of senior ISIS official near Manbij: What to know

SANA

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

In Trump meeting, Iraq PM says US troops to withdraw by Sept. 30

SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

At least 6 killed, 22 wounded in Damascus cafe explosion: What to know

Syrian security forces and people gather at the site of an explosion at a cafe in the capital, Damascus, on July 2, 2026.

Turkey captures alleged ISIS-K media chief near Afghanistan-Pakistan border

A Turkish police officers patrols at the scene of a motor-bike bomb explosion, next to a police station on Oct. 6, 2016, in Istanbul.

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

From BRICS to dwindling oil revenues, 2024 was mixed year for Gulf

The ongoing conflict in Gaza, big international investment deals, low oil revenue and increased curtailing of democratic rights dominated Gulf politics and economy in 2024

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Fighters of Turkish-supported forces are positioned on the Buwayhij-Boughaz-Korhoyuk frontline on the outskirts of Manbij in northeastern Syria, as they fight with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sept. 6, 2023.

Turkey-backed Syrian factions end US-mediated ceasefire with Kurdish-led SDF

Sources told Al-Monitor that negotiations between the sides had “failed” amid “significant military buildups” on the Turkish border.

Members of the Syrian community in Berlin hold flags of Syria and Germany as they celebrate the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, Dec. 8, 2024.

Analysis

EU seeks channels with HTS as it grapples with post-Assad Syria

The European Union will need a creative solution to establish communications with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a designated terror organization and the caretaker government in Syria.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

US forces patrol oil fields near Syria's northeastern border with Turkey in the Qahtaniyah countryside in the far northeast corner of Hasakah province, on Sept. 3, 2024.

Top US general meets with Syria’s Kurdish forces after Assad falls

Washington has laid out its conditions for supporting post-Assad governance but appears reluctant to leverage its military foothold in Syria as Turkey-backed rebels continued to attack the Kurdish-led SDF, threatening the fragile cohesion among US-backed militias seen as essential to keeping a lid on the dangerous remnants of Islamic State group.

Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister, Hakan Fidan delivers a press conferense after his meeting with his Greek counterpart in Athens, on November 8, 2024. (Photo by Aris MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

With Assad gone, Turkey urges Syrian opposition to unite, warns against PKK

The top Turkish diplomat struck a composed tone following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad and called for unity among the Syrian opposition.

GettyImages-2162402229

US strikes Iran-backed militias in Syria in latest round of retaliation

This was the first wave of retaliatory US strikes against Iran-backed militias acknowledged by CENTCOM in several months.

Afghan refugees walk with their belongings after deporting back from Iran at the Islam Qala border between Afghanistan and Iran, in the western Herat province on May 30, 2024.

Taliban minister endorses return of Afghan migrants from Iran

Afghan migrants in Iran have faced violence and hostility recently, according to reports, and the Islamic Republic has vowed to deport them by the end of the year.

Lieutenant General Lucas Schreurs of the Netherlands assumes command of the NATO Mission to Iraq (NMI) in Baghdad, May 24, 2024.

Interview

NATO deepens engagement with Iraq as US prepares to withdraw

In an exclusive Al-Monitor interview, Lucas Schreurs, commander of NATO Mission Iraq, explains the scope of his outfit's mandate.

Commander of NATO Mission Iraq

Commander of NATO Mission Iraq

Lucas Schreurs

A man points to a television set displaying an image of the late leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.

Analysis

Even with killing of Nasrallah, Hezbollah nowhere near defeated

Removing savvy and charismatic militant chieftains is a necessary, but not sufficient, counterterrorism measure. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in October 2019, nearly five years ago, and the Islamic State, though attenuated, demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and evolve.

Colin P. Clarke

By Colin P. Clarke

In Pittsburgh, US, reporting on counterterrorism, militancy

Commanding officers of the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State.

US, Iraq announce end of defeat-ISIS coalition, but troops may stay

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s need for a domestic political win has sent Pentagon officials back to the drawing board to find ways to keep the lid on ISIS in neighboring Syria.

Women and a child queue to receive humanitarian aid packages at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp.

Analysis

How ISIS brides held by Syria’s Kurds are smuggled to suitors in Europe

The women are finding their prospective husbands on the internet using smuggled mobile phones.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

ISIS kills five Hezbollah-linked fighters in Syria: war monitor

The clashes come amid reports of an ISIS resurgence in Syria as well as an increase in activity in Europe.