Bashar al-Assad

Lebanon Must Pick the Abraham Accords over the Muslim Brotherhood

It would be a grave mistake for Lebanon to swap the Islamist resistance axis of Iran for the Muslim Brotherhood of Turkey and Qatar. ...

3 Americans killed, 3 injured in Islamic State ambush attack in Palmyra, Syria

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that “two U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian were killed, and three service members were injured, as a result of an ambush by a lone ISIS [Islamic...

Congress Unveils Proposal To Repeal Syria Sanctions as Syria-Israel Tensions Continue

Repeal Likely to Pass: Congress is likely to repeal economic sanctions on Syria enshrined in the 2019 Caesar Act in the coming weeks, unveiling language for its repeal within the...

Iraq Almost Takes a Stand Against Iran’s Terrorist Proxies — Then Doesn’t

The Iraqi government did the right thing and froze the assets of Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, but once the story made news on December 4, the government walked its decision back within hours. In...

Israel-Syria tensions continue after Israeli raid as White House urges ‘dialogue’

Tensions between Israel and Syria have continued in the wake of a November 27 raid in southern Syria by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). On December 4, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), a state...

Preventing Violence in Southern Syria Depends on Damascus and Jerusalem Reaching an Agreement

“Israel must maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria,” President Donald Trump said on December 1, amid rising tensions between the two countries. On November 27, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)...

Palestinian Islamic Jihad reportedly rebuilding its presence in Syria

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported on November 26 that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Gaza-based terrorist group, has been “increasingly strengthening its military wing in Syria...

Unsolved Murder of Bedouin Couple Fans Sectarian Flames in Syria

Syria seems to be inching back towards fracturing. On November 23, unknown individuals killed a husband and wife from a Sunni Arab Bedouin tribe in Homs Province. Authorities found slogans written at the...

Kurds at a Crossroads as Middle East Shifts

Syrian Kurdish military leader Mazloum Abdi’s recent meeting with top Kurdish officials of northern Iraq points to the region’s shifting political landscape. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander...

Russia Eyes Return to Southern Syria

Russia stepped foot in southern Syria for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad almost a year ago. On November 17, a Russian military delegation traveled to the southern region, where they conducted...

Syrian Government Condemns Israeli Prime Minister’s Visit to Troops in Southern Syria

Latest Developments ‘Violation of Sovereignty and Unity’: The Syrian government strongly condemned a November 19 visit to Israeli-controlled Syrian territory by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin...

Israeli prime minister and top officials visit Syria ‘buffer zone’ as Israel-Syria talks stall

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led a large group of Israeli officials and military commanders to the buffer zone between Israel and Syria on November 19. The Israel Defense...

Why Normalization with Israel Will Revive Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia risks irrelevance by tying its future to the failed Palestinian cause. Saudi Arabia is rapidly losing regional relevance, with Sunni rivals Qatar and Turkey encroaching on its traditional...

Hezbollah Attempting To Smuggle Weapons Through Syria, Rebuild in South Lebanon, IDF Says

Hezbollah in Breach of Ceasefire, IDF Asserts: The IDF accused the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah of attempting to rebuild its armed capabilities south of...

Sharaa in Washington: A Turning Point for Syria

The question for Damascus is what comes next, with Sharaa showing that he is ready for the global prime time.   Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the White House on Monday for a historic...

The (Calculable) Costs of Israel’s Wars

Can Israel afford its fights?

Sharaa To Be First-Ever Syrian Leader To Visit White House

In a meeting no one could have predicted just a year ago, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is scheduled to visit U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on November 10. It will be the first time a Syrian...

United States reportedly eyes military foothold in Damascus, Syrian official denies the claim

On November 6, Reuters reported that “The United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an air base in Damascus to help enable a security pact that Washington is brokering...

Patient Extremism: The Many Faces of the Muslim Brotherhood

Syrian Government Launches Operation to Apprehend Wanted French Jihadist Fugitives 

Clashes Erupt Near Idlib: Syrian government forces surrounded a camp near Idlib on October 21, launching a large-scale operation to apprehend French jihadist fighters wanted by...