Russian delegation in Syria to preserve military bases: What to know Russian and Syrian military officials have held a series of reciprocal exchanges and visits in recent weeks, as the Kremlin continues to view Syria as a key military vantage point. Syria
Sharaa, Putin meet in Moscow after Russia's abrupt pullout from Syria base Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Moscow, his second in four months, comes days after Russia began withdrawing its forces and evacuating equipment from its military base in northeast Syria. Syria
Syria's Shibani talks defense, economic ties with Russia's Putin during Moscow visit The visit is the second to Russia for Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasra, and follows other signs of rapprochement. Syria
Analysis Sharaa in Washington: Can US charm offensive boost Syria’s reconstruction? The trip signals strong support for the new Syrian government, as President Sharaa seeks the breakthroughs needed to end economic isolation and speed up reconstruction, while US sanctions continue to paralyze investment. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Pragmatism outweighs animosity as Syrian, Russian FMs bargain at Kremlin By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Turkey, Syria, Iran to hold 'technical talks' in Russia next week The technical meeting is aimed at achieving progress in the stalled high-level dialogue process between Ankara and Damascus. Turkey
Iran's top diplomat to visit Turkey in post-disaster diplomacy The top Iranian and Turkish diplomats are also expected to discuss the Syrian, Nagorno-Karabakh and bilateral files during their meeting. Turkey
Ukraine war at year 1: Russia-Iran alignment threatens delicate Middle East balance US officials say Russia's invasion of Ukraine has given Iran a chance to hone its drone warfare skills while potentially expanding its proxies' footprint in Syria, risking escalation with Israel. Iran
Al-Monitor/Premise poll: Russia's role seen as negative in Turkey, Yemen, Iraq The Russian invasion of Ukraine hurt the region economically, as supply chain disruptions and food shortages topped respondents concerns in Turkey, Egypt, Yemen and Iraq Turkey
Analysis Ukraine war at year 1: Israel, Ukraine find common ground on Iran Sharing concerns over Moscow-Tehran military cooperation, Jerusalem and Kyiv’s interests are now converging. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Israeli foreign minister meets Ukraine's Zelenskyy in Kyiv Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is the first high-level Israeli to visit Kyiv since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Israel
Israel's Netanyahu echoes 'shared estimate' with France on Iran, 'serious concerns' on Ukraine "I must note that we share concerns and we share the estimates on the nature of the Tehran regime," Netanyahu said following his meeting with Macron Israel
NATO wants Israel to 're-examine' its aid to Ukraine NATO and Israel are closer than even before on the issue of the Iranian threat but not yet on the same page over assisting Ukraine. Israel
Turkey faces tough options on Syrian rebel allies amid Damascus thaw Ankara’s quest to restore ties with Damascus has left its Syrian rebel allies confused as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the jihadi group controlling Idlib, seeks to raise its profile and lure the disenchanted to its ranks. Turkey
Russia to expand private militaries in broader Middle East amid staffing crisis As it wages a full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia wants to reform its army while being chronically short of security personnel, and increasingly dependent on mercenaries Russia
Fledgling Turkish-Syrian dialogue faces bumpy road ahead Ankara and Damascus need to moderate their positions to avoid a collision in their quest for normalization. Turkey
Iran's top diplomat to visit Turkey amid Erdogan-Assad thaw The foreign ministers of the two nations will hold talks next week amid ongoing Ankara-Damascus rapprochement. Turkey
