Exclusive Rubio said 'no meeting' with Syria’s Shibani in Munich unless Kurdish commander included Rubio’s insistence was aimed at satisfying lawmakers demanding stronger US support for the SDF. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Syria begins prisoner exchange with Druze militia in south: What to know The Suwayda area has seen significant instability since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, complicating government efforts to address sectarian factionalism. Syria
Turkey to repatriate its ISIS fighters from Iraq as jihadis escalate Syria attacks Ankara will repatriate its nationals from among thousands of fighters transferred from Syria, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said. Turkey
Canada becomes latest Western country to lift Syria sanctions: What to know Like the US, Canada had strained relations with Syria during the civil war but is now showing signs of engagement. Syria
Feature After SDF-Damascus truce, is Kurdish haven still safe for Syria's Alawites? By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US military pulls out of Syria’s Al-Tanf garrison in major shift By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
German court convicts ex-Syrian regime officer in historic case Eyad al-Gharib, a former low-ranking officer in Syria's intelligence services, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity. Syria
Syrian opposition preparing for possible regime expansion on al-Bab fronts There are fears of a new military operation near al-Bab in Aleppo countryside, after the Syrian regime forces and their allied militias positioned there received fresh military reinforcements. Syria
How the Syrian government benefits from opening crossings with opposition-held areas Russia announced that the Syrian government was getting ready to open several crossings with the Syrian opposition in Idlib, a move that is mainly seen as an attempt by the regime to alleviate the economic strain of US sanctions. Syria
In Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, SDF conscription ‘severs livelihoods’ The Syrian Democratic Forces' recent campaign to conscript youth for military service is compounding economic hardship in Deir ez-Zor province, one of the poorest areas of Syria. In villages where the campaign is most active, young men are staying home for fear of arrest, forgoing daily wages and delaying grocery purchases to avoid passing by checkpoints. Syria
Can Turkey fit into the Biden administration’s Syria policy? The gnarliest problem: Pentagon report says Syrian, Iranian proxies are "most significant" threats to US mission, but the Islamic State isn’t dead yet, and Turkey and the United States still disagree on the Kurds. Syria
Does ‘Syrian trio’ of Russia, Iran and Turkey have a future? There are signs that the Astana talks on the Syrian war — which began in 2017 and are sponsored by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran — have little prospect of making progress going forward. Syria
Is HTS reining in or expanding jihadist network in Idlib? Ansar al-Tawhid recently attacked a Russian operations room in the south of Idlib governate, killing and injuring several soldiers on the site, raising questions about the group’s identity and affiliations. Syria
Damascus scrambles for more control in southern Syria As the Russian-brokered Tafas agreement in the western countryside of Daraa between the Syrian regime and the Central Committee enters into force, the regime is now seeking to take over the towns outside its control in southern Syria before the upcoming 2021 presidential elections. Syria
Islamic State escalates attacks in Syrian desert The Islamic State organization (IS) kills a large number of regime forces on an almost daily basis in the Syrian Desert, which has turned into a black hole draining the regime forces. Syria
Syrian livestock depleted by war, failing economy Syrian cattle owners and breeders are no longer able to look after their livestock in light of the soaring prices of oil derivatives, fodder and other necessary means for animal husbandry, not to mention the large number of animals that perished in the shelling. Syria
Russia plays up ties to Syrian Christians Russia declares its support for the Orthodox Christian militias fighting alongside the Syrian regime, as it shows great interest in the ideological factor within its expansion and domination strategy in Syria Syria
57 nations hit for failure to repatriate women, children from Syrian camps UN human rights experts are pressing Great Britain, France, Iran, Russia, Turkey, the United States and 51 other countries to repatriate nearly 10,000 of their citizens associated with the Islamic State. Syria
