Russian troops begin evacuating from northern Syria
Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa made his second visit to Moscow in four months on January 28, even as Russia is withdrawing its forces from the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria. Moscow...
Tahrir al-Sham
Fate of prisons holding Islamic State fighters uncertain as Syrian government fights Syrian Democratic Forces
Syrian government forces advancing into eastern Syria and combating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are increasingly taking over areas where Islamic State (IS) members have been held in prisons and...
Op-eds
US airstrike kills Al Qaeda leader in Syria
The US military killed an Al Qaeda leader who was involved in the December 13, 2025, attack that killed two US soldiers and a civilian contractor in Syria. US Central Command (CENTCOM) maintains that the...
Op-eds
US military strikes Islamic State in Syria
The US military launched a series of “large-scale strikes against multiple ISIS [Islamic State] targets across Syria,” on January 10, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced. CENTCOM said...
Op-eds
Israel-Syria Negotiations Show Promise, But Significant Obstacles Remain
After months of rising tensions, Israel and Syria are back at the negotiating table in Paris. Syria’s state news agency reported that Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein...
Policy Briefs
Why was Sharaa Invited to Washington, but not Aoun?
For all his efforts, Joseph Aoun deserves Washington’s active support to enable him to accomplish even more. Until late 2024, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was a U.S.-designated terrorist with...
Op-eds
US launches widespread airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria after deadly Palmyra attack
On December 19, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that “U.S. forces have commenced a large-scale strike against [Islamic State] ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites in Syria.”...
Op-eds
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...
Flash Briefs
Exposed: Qatar’s Circle of Terrorist Friends
In recent comments to CNN, Qatar’s prime minister reflected on his country’s unique ability to “convene between conflicted parties and understand the grievances.” ...
Op-eds
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...
Op-eds
U.S. Administration Submits Proposal To End UN Sanctions on Syria
Sharaa Heading to Washington: The United States has drafted a proposal to the UN Security Council to lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Interior Minister...
Flash Briefs
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...
Flash Briefs
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Meets With Putin in Moscow
Sharaa in Russia: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on October 15, aiming to “restore and define the nature of this relationship”...
Flash Briefs
Buying the Hatchet
How arms deals are helping Sharaa to make up with Moscow.
Op-eds
US kills Al Qaeda-linked ‘attack planner’ in Syria
The US military killed a “senior Al-Qaeda affiliated attack planner” in an airstrike in Syria on October 2. The jihadi was a member of Ansar Islam, a terrorist organization that has operated in Iraq...
Op-eds
The United States Should be Prudent Regarding al-Sharaa’s Turn
Al-Sharaa’s turn away from the Nusra Front upon his seizure of power needs to be treated with prudence by the United States.
Op-eds
Profiles of militias in newly formed Druze national guard in Suwayda, Syria
On August 23, armed factions in the Suwayda province, Syria announced the formation of a national guard under the leadership of the Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al Hijri, the most prominent...
Op-eds
US-led raid kills senior Islamic State ‘official’ in Syria
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that a raid by US forces killed a “senior ISIS [Islamic State] member” in Atmeh in northwest Syria’s Idlib province on August 19. “Combined Joint...
Op-eds
Sunni Arab tribes mobilize against the Syrian Democratic Forces
Several Sunni Arab tribes in northeastern Syria, an area that encompasses 30 percent of Syrian territory and is currently under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have called...
Op-eds
Turkey is Making a Power Play to Dominate the Middle East
With Iran’s regional influence in steep decline, Turkey is aggressively positioning itself to fill the vacuum and assert dominance across the eastern Mediterranean and the broader Middle East....