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
Turkey seeks more military cooperation with US in Syria Analysts who say the FSA is not a viable force against IS argue that the Turkish military needs the help of US forces as it prepares to move on the IS stronghold of al-Bab. Syria
Why Iran never counted on US-Russia agreement Despite welcoming the US-Russia agreement on Syria, Iran never had much faith in the initiative. As such, the collapse of the deal does not appear to have left anyone in Tehran fazed. Syria
Iran says US in cahoots with terrorists in Syria The US-led coalition's bombing of Syrian government forces triggered harsh condemnation from Iran, which accused Washington of being in cahoots with terrorists in Syria. Syria
Veteran French diplomat: EU should play greater role in resolving Syria crisis French diplomat Alain Le Roy discusses the European Union's "unstable" and "insecure" borders and its greater challenge of resolving the crisis in Syria. Palestine
How will Israel respond to Assad’s warning? The missiles fired at Israeli fighter jets this week indicate that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad refuses to be held accountable for Syrian rebels’ stray mortar fire at Israel. Israel
Lebanon positions itself as hub for Syrian reconstruction Experts say that Lebanon has to prepare for Syria’s reconstruction once the war there ends or else it will be a missed opportunity to improve the Lebanese economy. Lebanon
How are Aleppo's residents dealing with truce? Although aid convoys have yet to enter Aleppo as part of the latest US-Russia brokered cease-fire, Syrians are still satisfied with the relative calm following the truce’s implementation. Syria
Why Iran welcomes US-Russian deal on Syria Despite speculation that Russia's dealings with the United States might be at the expense of Iran, it appears that Tehran has plenty of reasons to welcome Moscow and Washington’s agreement on Syria. Syria
Turkey demands role in Mosul battle, but coalition unconvinced Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed Turkey’s keenness to be part of the liberation of the two IS strongholds of Raqqa and Mosul, but continuing differences with Washington and Baghdad make this difficult. Iraq
Why the battle for al-Bab is pivotal in Syria As groups fighting in Syria make headway against the Islamic State, each wants to be positioned to reap the spoils of war. Syria
Meet the likely successor of Islamic State’s Baghdadi After IS spokesman and second-in-command Abu Mohamed al-Adnani was killed in an airstrike last month, there are indications that Bahraini citizen Turki al-Binali may replace him. Saudi Arabia
Shaky cease-fire starts in Syria The United States and Russia brokered a cease-fire, now in effect in Syria, which they hope will lead to an ease in the suffering of Syrians and spark "negotiated peace" discussions. Syria
