Trump says Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extended by three weeks President Trump said the second meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese envoys went "very well." Lebanon
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds? Damascus is making limited but tangible progress in its engagement with Syrian Kurds, even as Ankara seeks to shape the terms of any settlement. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US troops depart Syria, ending decade of presence in fight against ISIS The last major American bases in Syria have been turned over to the government in Damascus, US military officials confirmed to Al-Monitor. Syria
Acrimony erupts ahead of NATO summit as Turkey stalls defense plans Turkey is impeding a military plan to defend Poland and the Baltics to force the alliance to support its military operation in Syria. The spat underscores political divisions that are shaking NATO ahead of its anniversary summit this week. Turkey
Despite stepped-up military actions, Turkey still faces jihadi threats Ankara’s past haphazard policies complicate crackdown on IS; Iran hard-liners gain from protests; Syrian Kurds may not give up sales of Syrian oil to Damascus. Iraq
Amid ongoing unrest, Iraq refuses to receive IS detainees from Syria Though Iraq previously said it would receive and prosecute foreign Islamic State fighters from Syria, it has now rescinded its offer. Iraq
IS designates Turkey as its next base The Islamic State has selected Turkey as its next base to reorganize, recruit and plan. Iraq
Can EU's fear of terrorists give Turkey clout in ocean drilling? Following his threats to flood Europe with Syrian refugees, the Turkish president is now trying to use Islamic State suspects as leverage. Syria
Turkey’s fight against IS riddled with black holes Ankara may boast about how many Islamic State members it has captured, but its handling of IS suspects on the ground, especially in deportation centers, speaks of a slipshod attitude to the problem. Syria
IS kills priests in Syria as Turkish-backed fighters express IS sympathies Two Armenian Catholic priests are killed by the Islamic State near Hasakah and pro-Turkish Syrian fighters are reported to have hoisted the Islamic State flag in Ras al-Ain. Syria
Turkey-Europe ties brace for fresh rift over stateless IS militants The fate of foreign Islamic State militants captured in Syria is looming as a big headache for Turkey as many of them are now stateless, expelled from the citizenship of European countries. Syria
Tulsi Gabbard lays groundwork to force divisive vote on Syria withdrawal Presidential hopeful Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, could trigger a House vote forcing President Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Syria — but it’s dividing the anti-war movement. Syria
Does Baghdadi’s death herald the end of IS? The Islamic State is unlikely to disintegrate after losing its leader as the factors that have driven the worldwide membership and activities of the group remain in place. Iraq
Interview Saudi Arabia still awaiting signs of ‘goodwill’ from Iran In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud talks about the "dramatic effect" of the September attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields, and says there will be no official Saudi contacts with Israel until the Palestinian issue is resolved. Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US
Pentagon: Islamic State will survive leader’s death The death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will not extinguish the Islamic State’s ideology, US Central Command said, even as the Pentagon keeps up pressure to thin out the group's leadership with raids in Syria. Syria
