Analysis Why Turkey sees Israeli strikes in Syria as warning over its military role, Mecca Pact Ankara views Israel’s latest strikes in Syria as part of a broader effort to curb Turkey’s military influence in Damascus and a challenge to its regional defense partnerships. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Turkey bets on US deconfliction as Israel widens Syria red lines As Washington pushes a new deconfliction mechanism between Turkey and Israel, the Jewish state shows little incentive to accept tighter constraints on its freedom of action in Syria, experts say. By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist
Analysis Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them Israeli officials remain skeptical of Turkish and Syrian denials over Ankara’s military ambitions in Syria, warning that a deeper Turkish foothold could threaten Israel’s security and strain its ties with Washington. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Turkey signals restraint as war of words with Israel escalates over Syria The Turkish president’s top communications aide says Ankara will not be drawn into the Israeli government's “games” as Washington pushes a Turkey-Israel-Syria deconfliction mechanism. Turkey
Syria announces capture of senior ISIS official near Manbij: What to know By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Turkish-controlled Syrian region faces water crisis The drop in the groundwater level and the drying up of some artesian wells have caused a water crisis in the city of al-Bab in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, and many citizens have been struggling with the high prices of drinking water sold from cisterns. Syria
Syrian jihadist group ramps up efforts to oust rivals from Idlib Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, has asked a Chechen jihadist group to either join its ranks or leave the battlefronts, in a move that many consider to be part of HTS' policy to have its name removed from international terrorist lists. Syria
Islamic State exploits economic downturn in Iraq, Syria, US envoy says John Godfrey said the thousands of suspected Islamic State fighters held in northeast Syria constitute a security threat to the region. Syria
US adds Turkey to list of countries using child soldiers A US State Department report called out Turkey for providing support to armed groups in Syria that use children in combat. Turkey
Syrian aid agencies brace for vote on border crossing: 'There is no Plan B' Humanitarian actors are stockpiling supplies and sounding the alarm ahead of a UN Security Council vote that could eliminate the United Nations' last remaining entry point into northwest Syria. Syria
Iraq seeks to rehabilitate Islamic State families Baghdad’s program to allow families of Islamic State adherents to return from a Syrian camp and to reintegrate them back into Iraqi society stirs controversy. Iraq
Russia rules out opening second Syria border crossing for aid Russia's UN ambassador said his government is still considering whether or not to veto the UN's mandate for Syria's last remaining aid crossing. Syria
Turkey's mixed record against Islamic State Structural problems continue to keep Turkey from putting in place a comprehensive strategy to combat Islamic State elements in the country, despite numerous operations against networks linked to the radical Islamist group. Turkey
Kurdish-led forces intensify crackdown on Islamic State cells in northeast Syria Islamic State activities seem to have diminished during the month of June in the Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria amid a crackdown led by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Syria
Iraq-Syria border strikes on pro-Iran ‘militias’ spark retaliation Airstrikes on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border near Qaim conducted by the United States were followed by retaliatory strikes by Iran-linked groups against a Kurdish-led SDF base housing coalition forces in eastern Syria. Iraq
US forces in Syria come under attack after airstrikes on Iran-backed militias Renewed fighting in Iraq and Syria is bound to set off scrutiny in Congress. Syria
Blinken calls Syrian humanitarian situation 'untenable' At a meeting of the members of the US D-ISIS coalition in Rome, the US secretary of state makes appeal for "stabilization." Syria
