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’s FM pays Pakistan first visit in 19 years amid new regional alignments Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani is paying his office's first visit to Pakistan in nearly two decades after Islamabad, Ankara and Riyadh signed a joint defense pact. Syria
Turkey looks to expand Syria energy footprint into oil, gas Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said state oil giant TPAO and private companies are ready to explore for oil and gas onshore and offshore in Syria. 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
What we know about Israeli strikes on Syrian air base tied to Turkey By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Turkey’s targeted killings signal new strategy against Syrian Kurdish forces A series of Turkish drone strikes targeting senior Kurdish figures in northeast Syria appears to be the prelude of an attrition strategy to further restrict the main Syrian Kurdish group in the region and hamper its autonomy project. Turkey
Protests against Turkish-backed local councils in northern Syria expand over bad services Protests in the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army areas in northern Syria broke out due to the deteriorating services offered by some local councils, including electricity provided by a Turkish power company. Syria
The Takeaway: Bennett has opening to sway Biden administration on Iran nuclear deal Also: Iran’s new foreign minister and Nasrallah; Syrian Islamist group cracks down in Idlib; TikTok finds audiences in Egypt, Gaza; Israel’s chocolate confiscation; and more … in about 1,500 words! Israel
Jihadi group in Syria’s Idlib faces criticism over unfair trials, death sentences Hayat Tahrir al-Sham issued death sentences against two young men who have been detained in the organization’s prisons on charges of collaborating with the US-led international coalition. Syria
Syrian jihadist group expands control in areas outside Idlib The government run by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib imposed more measures to isolate its areas of influence in northwestern Syria. Syria
Syrian jihadis hail Taliban ‘conquest’ despite their own effort to rebrand The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan was widely welcomed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which offered sweets in the streets of Idlib. Syria
Turkish army on lookout for tunnels in northern Idlib Turkish forces have been leading security campaigns on the border with Syria, where they were able to destroy a number of tunnels used to smuggle people from Syria into Turkey. Syria
Syrian government, Kurds discuss plans for oil trade The Qatirji company and Syrian Democratic Forces are discussing the possibility of increasing oil shipments between SDF-controlled areas to government-held areas. Syria
Lebanon's president calls for UN action after Israeli strikes Lebanese President Michel Aoun said recent Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah violated Lebanon's sovereignty. Lebanon
Turkish airstrike kills members of US-backed Kurdish force in Syria A Turkish airstrike has killed four members of a US-backed Syrian Kurdish force. Turkey
Intel: Faith, civic leaders call on Biden to prioritize ending Syria's war In a letter to President Joe Biden, a group of Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders called for the administration to adopt “a resolute, diplomacy-first" policy on Syria. Syria
Syrian Islamist opposition leader slammed for misogynist remarks Osama al-Rifai, head of the Turkish-backed Syrian Islamic Council, was criticized by secular opposition figures for his recent remarks about Syrian women. Syria
