What Rouhani’s visit to Iraq tells us about Iran’s Syria policy

The Iranian president’s recent visit to Iraq and a possible first trip to Syria since his taking office in 2013 indicate a growing role for the Rouhani administration on regional files.

Iraq

Intel: How Syria policy zigzags are confounding US allies

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the Donald Trump administration continues to walk back its pullout from Syria and is now considering leaving as many as 1,000 US troops in the country.

Syria

Tal Afar wary and wedged between Iran, Turkey and PKK

The Turkmen-majority city of Tal Afar remains sparsely populated and wary of outsiders a year and a half after being taken from the Islamic State. Geopolitical considerations and the nearby presence of the PKK, the Syrian border, the desert and mountains mean that operations continue in the area despite apparent calm.

Iraq

New villages are mushrooming in Syria’s opposition-held areas

Syria's displaced are creating small towns after having been forced out of their hometowns.

Syria

Barzani: Russia key to settlement between Assad and Syrian Kurds

Manbij leaders prefer the United States, but would rather deal with Russia and Syria than Turkey; Amberin Zaman gets exclusive access to a prison for IS terrorists; did HTS force the resignation of a Syrian opposition leader?; Syrians protest Turkish truckers; Rouhani’s meeting with Sistani is "crowning achievement" of trip to Iraq.

Iraq

Inside the prison holding IS detainees in northeast Syria

Al-Monitor was the first Western media outlet to be granted access to the maximum security detention center in Derik, Syria, where many foreigners caught fighting for the Islamic State await their fate.

Syria

Digital safety training keeps Syrians from being arrested

A group of Syrians in al-Bab are working as part of the SalamaTech project to train people on the risks of using cellphones and the internet, in light of the regime’s arrests.

Syria

Comics expo draws crowds in Beirut

A Beirut comic and graphic novel exhibition promoted the educational and journalistic values of the art form in the Middle East.

Egypt

Iraq set to try Islamic State detainees according to local laws

Iraq has received hundreds of Islamic State detainees from Syria and is preparing to try them in Iraqi courts.

Iraq

Pentagon seeks $2 billion cut for Islamic State fight

The new US defense budget would cut funding to defeat IS by 20% as President Trump targets a withdrawal from Syria by the end of April.

Iraq

Is this the end of the Syrian Interim Government?

The resignation of Jawad Abu Hatab as prime minister of the Syrian National Coalition-backed Syrian Interim Government raises doubts about the future of the endeavor in light of advancements by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib province.

Syria

Jordan’s Syrian refugees are not going home anytime soon

Only a few thousand of the more than 600,000 registered Syrian refugees have returned home from Jordan since the war started in 2011, sparking fears about the kingdom’s capacities to bear the costs of hosting.

Jordan