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
Intel: Why US plan to have Europeans run Syria safe zone is no sure bet The Donald Trump administration has asked European allies to participate in a safe zone to protect the US-backed Syrian Kurds. Syria
Why Kurds seek talks with Assad regime In an interview with Al-Monitor, Aldar Khalil, a leading figure of the Movement for a Democratic Society, speaks of the general landscape in Syria and voices his opinion about the US withdrawal of forces and potential talks with the Assad regime. Syria
Tehran, Moscow differ on Syria, but share interests elsewhere Russia and Iran are cautious about labeling their relationship an alliance, but when they say it is a partnership, they mean it. Israel
Decoding Nasrallah’s messages on Lebanon and Syria In his latest interview, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah seemed to adopt a more measured tone toward Israel when compared with his previous speeches. Israel
Syrian Kurds tell Washington they may join forces with Assad if US pulls out of Syria A top Syrian Kurdish official said today that US-backed fighters will consider integrating with the Syrian army, a potential frustration to US policy in the country after troops withdraw. Syria
Ankara’s planned operation in northeast Syria remains murky Whether Ankara will stage an operation east of Euphrates depends on diplomatic efforts with Washington and Moscow. Iraq
Turkey pledges to enter Syria so refugees can return Frustrated by the slow progress on a proposed buffer zone in northeast Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled Turkey could do it alone, saying it would allow some of the millions of Syrians sheltering in Turkey to go home. Syria
Putin proposes old yet novel idea for Turkey-Syria crisis Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested reactivating the 1998 Adana Accord to prevent Turkey from intervening east of the Euphrates River in Syria. Syria
Putin guides Erdogan along the Road to Damascus The Russian and Turkish presidents agree to rekindle 1998 Adana agreement. Syria
Erdogan-Putin summit highlights differences over Syria Ankara gets little out of Moscow regarding its plans for northern Syria. Syria
Will the US renege on its promises to protect SDF in Syria? Turkey is pushing ahead with the idea of a safe zone along its border with Syria. Syria
Putin, Erdogan agree on Idlib but maneuver on Kurds While Moscow and Ankara agreed to reinforce cooperation on Idlib to fight Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Putin's proposal on the "buffer zone" in Syria's northeast sent Erdogan home thinking, at least until the next round of Astana talks Syria