Lebanon authorities release Salafist cleric Khaled Hablas: What to know Hablas was imprisoned for his role in the deadly 2014 clashes with the military and Hezbollah and his release follows Syria lobbying for the return of militants detained in Lebanon. Lebanon
Syria restores Raqqa oil field in former ISIS stronghold: What to know Before Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, national oil production stood at between 400,000 and 500,00 barrels per day before falling to under 100,000 bpd during the conflict. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran’s Ghalibaf: US must accept Tehran proposal By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border. Turkey
Analysis MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
What is Turkey’s military strategy in Syria? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent statement once again revealed that Ankara's priority in Syria is not fighting against the Islamic State, but rather stopping Kurds' advances. Syria
Turkey faces decision over boots on the ground in Syria Turkish media are speculating that the Free Syrian Army militias cannot expel Islamic State from Dabik and al-Bab, so that mission will fall to Turkish infantry. Syria
Incitement, tensions rise over Syrian refugees in Lebanon Controversial statements by Lebanese authorities point to growing frustration over the presence of more than 1 million Syrian refugees in their country. Lebanon
Foreign policy mishaps prove costly for Turkish contractors The AKP government’s foreign policy blunders have cost Turkish contractors abroad $16 billion of revenue losses. Iraq
Iran capitalizes on collapse of US-Russia cease-fire deal The Kerry-Lavrov cessation of hostilities for Syria unravels. Syria
What's keeping Syria’s rebel forces from consolidating their power? The myriad opposition factions in Syria could become a truly formidable force by uniting their efforts, but the task appears insurmountable given geographic and political divisions. Syria
Syrian opposition activist: Syrians no longer decision-makers to own destiny In an interview with Al-Monitor, Syrian opposition figure Louay Hussein explains his movement’s vision for the transitional period in Syria and his positions against the revolution. Syria
US, Russia spar over terms to restore Syria cease-fire Diplomats held a contentious meeting in an attempt to agree on bold measures to try to salvage a US-Russia cease-fire deal in Syria after it collapsed, but failed to reach agreement. Syria
How this 14-year-old Syrian refugee is fighting to end child marriage Following in the footsteps of her role model Malala Yousafzai, Omaima Hoshan, a 14-year-old living in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp, is raising awareness about the physical and psychological risks child marriage poses to young girls. Jordan
Are Ankara, Washington on collision course in Syria? The tension between Turkey and the United States is threatening to sharply escalate with any missteps in the dance between Turkey's anti-Kurdish objectives and Washington's support for Syrian Kurdish groups. Syria
Why US' biggest challenge to fighting IS in Syria might be its own allies The Obama administration’s no-boots-on-the-ground policy in Iraq and Syria has forced it to employ creative solutions to manage the complex battlefield. But for how long? Syria
US, UN say Syria cease-fire 'not dead' after strike on aid convoy Despite statements from the United States and UN following a deadly Sept. 19 strike on an aid convoy, there are growing doubts about whether the US-Russian agreement is viable. Syria
