Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says nuclear negotiations have not started yet Iran disputes US optimism over nuclear talks as Washington eases oil sanctions and regional tensions remain fragile. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Syria announces direct flights to Amsterdam as Europe links expand The head of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced that after years of suspension, Syrian Airlines would restart direct services between Damascus and Amsterdam. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Vance says Switzerland talks laid 'good foundation' for final deal Early US-Iran talks in Switzerland point to cautious progress By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Syria’s Sharaa says he had ‘multiple discussions’ with Trump on Lebanon, favors dialogue Syrian President Sharaa has again played down Donald Trump’s request that Syria could enter Lebanon and help disarm Hezbollah. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump touts Iran deal as Hegseth warns Tehran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing G7 leaders urge Lebanon ceasefire By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Lebanon's 'Fuel War' Linked To Syrian Conflict Opponents of the Syrian government in Lebanon are blocking transportation of diesel into Syria, reports Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
No-Fly Zone Debate: Are the Patriots Up to It? Patriot missiles stationed in Turkey have been the subject of debate as officials and those on the ground consider the feasibility of enforcing a no-fly zone in Syria, writes Fernande van Tets. Syria
Arming the Syrian Opposition Is No Solution Controlling the spread of arms may not be possible if the only solution to end the bloodshed in Syria is by arming the opposition, writes Tulin Daloglu. Syria
Hezbollah Says External Pressures Forced the Mikati Resignation Sources close to Hezbollah consider the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati to be the result of pressure from outisde powers, writes Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
Arab League Summit Is About More Than Syria The Arab League summit dealt not only with the controversial issue of seating the Syrian opposition, but also with Arab citizenship and civil society, writes Clovis Maksoud. Lebanon
The European Dilemmas On Arming Syrian Rebels An initiative to lift the European Union’s arms embargo to Syria and increase support to rebels has been met with strong EU opposition; the EU is unlikely to move further on that issue. Syria
Will Jordan Allow Syria's Palestinian Refugees to Resettle? As the 2-year-old civil war in Syria drags on and refugees continue to stream from Syria into Jordan, Adnan Abu Amer asks whether Jordan will consider resettling Syria’s Palestinian refugees. Palestine
Israeli Soldiers Enter Syrian Golan Heights After Israel was forced to rescue UN forces in the Golan Heights, the UN warned of instability in the Syrian Golan and the danger posed by Syrian rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda, reports Inna Lazareva. Israel
Tunisian Jihadists Fighting in Syria Many of the foreign fighters in Syria hail from Tunisia, while Tunisia struggles to deal with its own internal problems, writes Nesrine Hamedi. Syria
Syrian Crisis Plays Major Role In Israeli Apology Israel apologized to Turkey for the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident to keep Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the side of United States and Israel — and in line. Syria
UN to Probe Syria's Claim Of Rebel Chemical Attack A chlorine factory is at the core of the Syrian government's call for an investigation into chemical-weapons use near Aleppo, reports Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
Muslim Brotherhood Holds Sway Over Syrian Opposition Ghassan Hitto’s appointment as Syrian interim prime minister by the opposition coalition may be an attempt by Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar and Turkey to derail Moaz al-Khatib’s dialogue initiative, writes Hassan Hassan. Syria