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’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
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
Suspected Israeli airstrikes hit factory on Syrian coast The attack was the first since a missile from Syria landed near an Israeli nuclear reactor last month. News Brief
Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief meets with Syrian counterpart in Damascus The meeting takes place during the first official visit to Damascus by Saudi Arabia since 2012. Saudi Arabia
House Republicans call for review of John Kerry's security clearance Republicans on the House Oversight Committee responded to a report that Kerry provided Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif information on Israel's operations in Syria, but Kerry has denied this ever happened. United States
Syria’s presidential elections, explained Described as a farce by opponents, Syria’s upcoming presidential elections are designed to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power until at least 2028. Syria
The cost of Turkey’s grey passport scandal Turkey’s service passport scandal may be more costly than imagined. On the domestic front, the case is one more sign that organized crime fuels corruption. In the international arena, Turkey is expected to encounter more embarrassment and court cases for smugglers. Turkey
Despite truce, Kurdish authorities in Qamishli fear return of Syrian government-affiliated forces Under a Russian-sponsored agreement, the Syrian government-affiliated National Defense Forces retreated from the Tayy neighborhood in Qamishli, which is now under the control of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration. Syria
US soldier faces criminal charges over firefight with Syrian regime Sgt. 1st Class Robert Nicoson is accused of recklessly endangering his own men by allegedly bringing them into close contact with Syrian pro-regime forces. Syria
Turkish-backed FSA soft power initiative includes libraries The increase in the number of public libraries in the relatively stable areas controlled by the Turkish-backed FSA in the countryside of Aleppo reflects the development of various cultural activities. Syria
Syrian government, Kurdish forces end dispute in Qamishli The clashes between the Syrian government-affiliated forces and Kurdish security forces ended in Syria's northeast city of Qamishli after reaching an agreement between the two parties under Russian auspices. Syria
Suicide on rise among young people in northwest Syria The organization says children account for nearly one in five recorded suicide attempts and deaths in northwestern Syria. Syria
Northeast Syria's pandemic response in jeopardy as cases rise, charity warns Amid a spike in coronavirus cases, the region's hospitals are grappling with a major shortage of oxygen and testing supplies. Syria
Iraqi, Syrian oil ministers discuss gas imports The Iraqi and Syrian oil ministers talked about the possibility of transporting Egyptian gas to Iraq through Syria during a meeting in Baghdad. News Brief
