Syria denies meeting with Lebanon’s Hezbollah in Turkey: What to know Both Damascus and Ankara denied reports that Syrian officials met with Hezbollah representatives in Turkey, as relations between the two sides remain fraught with tensions mainly over the Lebanese group’s support for Assad’s forces against rebels during the Syrian civil war. Syria
Lebanon seeks Turkey’s help to join Syria-Saudi rail link: What to know Beirut is seeking Ankara’s support to link its ports to a railway project aiming to link Turkey to the Gulf, through Syria and Jordan. Turkey
Feature Syria Golan detentions fuel fury at Israeli forces, doubts in new government Israeli forces have detained hundreds of Syrians and continue to conduct strikes and incursions in Quneitra, fueling resentment among residents who say Damascus has failed to protect them. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis How militias in Anbar could complicate Iraq’s energy ambitions Securing western Anbar is emerging as a key test of Iraq’s ability to curb armed factions, attract foreign investment and unlock the province’s vast energy potential. By Shelly Kittleson In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics
Exclusive How Syrian Air is braving regional turbulence to rise from the ashes By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Can Netanyahu turn Israel's UN isolation into strength at home? By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
SDF commander's claims of Turkish allegiance raise eyebrows Talal Silo, the former spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces, claims to have defected to Turkey and continues to offer contradictory accusations that the US-backed group was established as a cover for US support for Kurdish terror groups. Syria
Israel, Iran duel on Syrian soil The growing presence of Iran in Syria, combined with attacks against a missile plant and a base for Iranian forces, indicate that Israel and Iran are practically already at war. Israel
Ankara pressed to explain $30 billion refugee bill Turkey’s opposition is piling up pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government to provide a transparent account of the $30 billion that Ankara says it has been spent on Syrian refugees. Syria
Israel 'will not blink' on Iranian missiles The Israel Defense Forces set new red lines for Iran; Erdogan still waiting for Russian dividend on Kurds; Russia expands use of private military companies in Syria; the Islamic State and al-Qaeda at war in the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt
Women join opposition police forces in Aleppo’s liberated areas With the help of Turkish trainers, the first batch of policewomen graduated from the opposition’s National Police and Public Security Forces in the areas liberated during Operation Euphrates Shield in the countryside of Aleppo. Syria
Turkey squeezed between American hammer, Russian anvil on Syrian stage The Kurdish issue is only one of the catalysts to indicate Turkey’s weakened posture in Syria, the Middle East and the world. Syria
Syrian opposition can win, as long as it agrees to lose The Syrian regime appears to hold the trump cards in negotiations this week with the opposition delegation in Geneva. Syria
Will Israel launch pre-emptive strike against Assad? Israeli experts claim that the Israel Defense Forces should have struck the Bashar al-Assad regime at the beginning of the war in Syria. Israel
Private military companies: Moscow’s other army in Syria To compensate for troop reductions in Syria, Russia is deploying an array of corporate-organized mercenaries. Syria
US faces uphill battle recouping arms from Syrian Kurds As the fight against the Islamic State winds down, the Donald Trump administration says it plans to get back the weapons it loaned to Kurdish troops opposed by Turkey. Syria
Sochi summit leaves Turkey facing unsavory possibilities It's unknown how far Moscow will go to appease Ankara with regard to the Syrian Kurds. Syria
Four-year-old siege still punishing civilians in Syria's Yarmouk camp Despite talk of negotiations and a breakthrough, the siege imposed by the Syrian regime on the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus continues to claim the lives of civilians. Syria