What Does Israel Want With Syria?
As Syria faces continued conflict, Israel may be planning a wider confrontation with the new government.
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
Why did Syria’s Kurds sign a deal with the new regime?
On March 10, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) signed an agreement with Syria’s interim government, integrating the SDF’s 100,000-strong, predominantly Kurdish force into the new Syrian...
Op-eds
Israeli defense chief assesses military readiness along Israel’s border with Syria
The new chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, visited northern Israel on March 9 and met with IDF commanders along the border with Syria. According...
Op-eds
Hundreds Killed in Syria as Transitional Government Clashes With Alawite Insurgency
Massive Fighting on Syrian Coast: At least 400 people including 300 civilians have reportedly been killed in three days of intense fighting between Syria’s transitional government...
Flash Briefs
Fierce clashes erupt between Assad loyalists and government forces in western Syria
On March 6, Syria witnessed the most intense and bloodiest clashes between the new Syrian government and loyalists to dictator Bashar al Assad since the Assad regime’s downfall on December 8. These battles...
Op-eds
Bridging the Gap
Turkey Between East and West
Legislative Testimonies
Iran’s loss is Turkey’s gain
Recent diplomatic tensions between Turkey and Iran reflect a broader shift in the Middle East: Turkey has filled the vacuum left by Tehran, much to the Islamic Republic’s discontent.
Op-eds
How will the US-backed SDF be affected by PKK leader’s disarmament call?
On February 27, Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan called for the group to disarm and end its conflict with Turkey, according to a message he released from prison.
Op-eds
Nascent Syrian armed group emerges to confront Israeli forces
An armed organization calling itself The Islamic Resistance Front in Syria—Great Might (formerly known as The Front for the Liberation of the South) has issued statements warning the Israel Defense Forces...
Op-eds
Can Syria Survive?
On February 25, Syria held a National Dialogue Conference, which is supposed to help the country come together after years of civil war and the toppling of the Assad regime. Syria’s new president,...
Op-eds
US kills Al Qaeda’s military commander for Syria
Video of CENTCOM's strike in northwestern Syria that killed Hurras al Din's overall military commander Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay. Hurras al Din is Al Qaeda's branch in Syria which claims to...
Op-eds
Syria’s National Dialogue Conference: A Missed Opportunity
Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s interim president, pledged in December that the country’s national dialogue conference on February 25 would chart a clear course for the country’s transition...
Policy Briefs
Netanyahu calls for the demilitarization of southern Syria
On February 23, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for southern Syria to remain demilitarized in the wake of the collapse of the Bashar al Assad regime. “We will not allow forces from the...
Op-eds
Suwayda Military Council: A new Druze coalition emerges in Syria
A group of Druze militants in Suwayda, southern Syria, has announced the formation of the Suwayda Military Council, a coalition of local armed groups aimed at protecting the region and maintaining...
Op-eds
10 Things to Know About Turkey’s Interventions and Influence in Syria
Turkey intends to position itself as the most influential foreign actor in Syria. Following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Turkey built close ties with jihadist militias fighting Bashar...
Insights
‘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
US military kills Al Qaeda facilitator in Syria
The US military killed a senior member of Al Qaeda’s branch in Syria in an airstrike in the northwestern part of the country on February 21.
Op-eds
Turkey Marginalized? How Trump’s Middle East Strategy is Rewriting Alliances
Nearly a month into Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. President, we are beginning to see the contours of his foreign policy in the Middle East. Having campaigned on a promise to prioritize American...
Op-eds
Profiles of foreign commanders in the new Syrian army
The new Syrian administration has announced the disbandment of the Bashar al Assad regime’s Syrian Arab Army and confirmed the integration of multiple rebel groups into a unified military under...
Op-eds
Syria’s National Dialogue Committee: A Facade of Inclusivity
Syria’s new president pledged to champion inclusivity, yet he has stacked a key transition committee with like-minded Islamists. The seven-member National Dialogue Committee will organize the National...