Russian delegation in Syria to preserve military bases: What to know Russian and Syrian military officials have held a series of reciprocal exchanges and visits in recent weeks, as the Kremlin continues to view Syria as a key military vantage point. Syria
Putin meets Iran’s top security official as Trump says Tehran wants deal President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran is seeking a nuclear deal but declined to specify a timeline for negotiations. Iran
UAE President meets Putin in Russia to discuss nuclear energy, trade, Iran The visit of Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed comes a day after the Kremlin hosted President Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss the future of Russian military bases in Syria. Russia
Sharaa, Putin meet in Moscow after Russia's abrupt pullout from Syria base Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Moscow, his second in four months, comes days after Russia began withdrawing its forces and evacuating equipment from its military base in northeast Syria. Syria
Analysis Turkey rebuffs air-defense criticism after drone shot down near Ankara By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Is Syria unable, or unwilling, to fend off Iran coronavirus contagion? While close links between Damascus and Tehran put the former at great risk of an influx of COVID-19 cases, Syria's reliance on Iran for political and military support may make stemming the spread more difficult. Lebanon
Intel: Why Moscow is dispatching its military to fight coronavirus in Syria, Italy On March 25, the first Russian navy cargo ship transited Turkey’s Bosporus strait en route to Syria. The ship was reportedly carrying three ambulances and a shipping container on its deck — equipment to be used to help fight the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Syria. Syria
Does Turkey have the will to take on jihadis in Idlib? Turkey and Russia will continue to be at odds in Syria's Idlib due to radical groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Syria
Intel: What was Russia’s defense minister doing in Syria? Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu just paid a visit to Damascus for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syria
Intel: Turkey targeted by both sides in northern Syria conflict The Turkish troops in northern Syria have become a target of all warring parties in the area in less than a month, after a rocket attack by a radical group killed two Turkish soldiers and wounded one in the region yesterday. Syria
Russia hoping to outdo Saudis over time in coronavirus-hit oil market Russia opted for an approach based on uncertainty in its decision to leave the OPEC-plus deal, but is it punching above its weight? Saudi Arabia
Justice Department ordered Turkish TV station to register as foreign agent The decision came amid an intensifying push by the Donald Trump administration and Congress to get foreign media outlets to register. Qatar
Why Ankara’s Syrian refugee threat has lost its impact The “refugee crisis” that Ankara triggered at the Greek border has come to an end, as it failed to create the desired impact on Europe. Syria
Turkey’s geostrategic orientation at crossroads amid Idlib tangle Confusion prevails in Ankara on how to resolve the entangled Idlib crisis and the choices it will ultimately make could bear on its geostrategic orientations in the coming years. Syria
Russia, Turkey conduct first joint patrol in Idlib The first joint Russian-Turkish patrol along Syria's M4 highway didn’t go perfectly smoothly, but bigger challenges are already looming on the horizon. Syria
Erdogan meets virtually with EU leaders under coronavirus cloud Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a mini Syria summit with France, the United Kingdom and Germany's leaders today. Syria
Mission impossible 2.0: Idlib plan stumbles at outset The latest Russian-Turkish deal in Syria’s rebel bastion of Idlib is off to a shaky start amid threats by armed groups to respond violently to attempts to open the critical M4 highway. Syria
