Syria’s leader charms the world, crushes the Druze. Israel should be wary
Sharaa seems to be a pragmatic diplomat, but before pursuing warmer ties, Jerusalem needs guarantees that he will stop repressing his minority citizens
Daraa
Syria intercepts advanced weapons bound for Hezbollah from Iraq
On July 16, Syria’s Ministry of Interior announced that it had foiled an “attempt to smuggle a large shipment of sophisticated weapons across the Syrian-Iraqi border.” The ministry said...
Op-eds
Syria appoints new parliament as Israel tensions continue
On July 1, Syria’s government said that the country’s Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections had announced the final list of names for the country’s new parliament. The...
Op-eds
Syria reports neutralizing Hezbollah plot to assassinate senior officials
On May 5, the Syrian Ministry of Interior and the General Intelligence Directorate announced that security forces thwarted a major terrorist attack aiming to destabilize the country. In a series...
Op-eds
Syria’s First Trial of Assad-Era Figure Signals Progress, but Accountability Still Falls Short
The first public trial of officials associated with former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime opened in Damascus on April 26. The defendant is Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and former head of the intelligence...
Policy Briefs
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...
Op-eds
Will Syria’s New President Live Up to the World’s Hope? The Signs Aren’t Good
Last week, Ahmad Sharaa became the first Syrian president in 60 years to visit New York for the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting.
Op-eds
Syria Is No Longer a Narco-State, But the Captagon Trade Rolls On
Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa pledged to dismantle his country’s massive illegal drug trade when he took power in December, but the dangerous amphetamine captagon is still flowing. On September...
Policy Briefs
Turkey’s Push for Regime Change in Syria: The Jihadi Highway
Syria’s civil war broke out in March 2011, in reaction to the brutal crackdown by the regime of Bashar al-Asad of popular protests that were part of the wider Arab Spring. In supporting the Syrian...
Op-eds
Druze City Offers Syria’s Leader Yet Another Challenge
Things are not getting any easier for Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and his fractured country. On August 18, hundreds of Druze demonstrated in the city of Suwayda — where they make up the...
Policy Briefs
Israel widens campaign against former regime military sites in southern Syria
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes in southern Syria on the evening of March 17, targeting a number of sites.
Op-eds
Israel strikes Palestinian Islamic Jihad command center in Damascus
The state-owned Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that Israel targeted a building in the Mashoura Dummar neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, with an airstrike on March 13. The attack wounded...
Op-eds
What Does Israel Want With Syria?
As Syria faces continued conflict, Israel may be planning a wider confrontation with the new government.
Op-eds
‘We Will Not Allow Southern Syria to Become Southern Lebanon’: Israeli Warplanes Strike Military Targets in Syria
Israel Strikes Military Sites: The Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes on Syrian territory on February 25, including the town of Kisweh, approximately 12 miles south of Damascus,...
Flash Briefs
‘Demilitarization of Southern Syria’: Israel Expands on post-Assad Plans
Israel Sets Demands for Syrian Transitional Government: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu briefed Israel’s strategic objectives after 16 months of regional warfare to...
Flash Briefs
Assad Is Gone, Syria’s Captagon Trade Isn’t
Despite its statements vowing to clean up the country, Syria’s new government is unlikely to tackle the profitable narcotics trade.
Op-eds
Ahmad al Sharaa’s Victory Conference: Syria’s new era and an exclusive translation of Sharaa’s speech
On January 29, Syria’s new leadership, headed by Ahmad al Sharaa—formerly known as Abu Mohammad al Jolani, the emir of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) and previously the leader of Al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate,...
Op-eds
Profiles of new Syrian military leadership
On December 21, Abu Mohammad Jolani, also known as Ahmad al Sharaa, convened a meeting with numerous leaders of Syrian armed factions and local figures to discuss plans for unifying these militias into...
Op-eds
‘The Factions Will be Dissolved’: Jolani Pushes to Disband Rebel and Pro-Assad Armed Groups in Syria
Al-Sharaa Pushes for Unity Amongst Rebel Factions: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, better known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, announced on December...
Flash Briefs
Israel’s Bashan Arrow operation in Syria continues
As the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad was collapsing on December 8, Israel set in motion a contingency plan that anticipated the situation. In recent weeks, the military intelligence...