Syria lodges UN complaint against Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Golan Bogota’s move marked a foreign policy shift under new right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella, reversing Petro-era policies that strained ties with Israel. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death Turkey’s Fidan to visit Libya; Iran’s Khamenei appoints six military commanders; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad, brother to death for war crimes Ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother Maher al-Assad were both sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes along with several other defendants. Syria
New deal reduces Russia’s military presence in Syria: What to know Under a deal announced by Syria, Russia’s military facilities would be turned into joint training centers. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Syria, Russia reach deal on Russian bases By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan sign defense pact By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Syrian refugees aggravate Turkey’s unemployment problem Syrian refugees working illegally at low wages are exacerbating already severe unemployment in Turkey. Syria
Turkish truckers try to get on the road again With the dangers and difficulties now inherent in transiting in Iraq and Syria, the Turkish transportation sector is looking for alternative routes to Middle Eastern markets. Legacy: Gulf
Did nostalgia for Islamic caliphate become a reality? The Islamic State has exploited ideological tendencies of Salafist jihadists to establish its "Islamic caliphate." Iraq
Lebanese Hezbollah unlikely to intervene in Iraq crisis Although some have expressed concerns that Hezbollah could intervene in Iraq to protect Shiite holy sites from Islamic State militants, a number of Lebanese politicians and sources close to Hezbollah dismiss this possibility. Iraq
Iraq events cause Hezbollah to go on full alert The fall of western Iraq to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has cut the contiguous bridge from Iran to Lebanon, and Hezbollah fears that ISIS may try to sneak through to Lebanon. Iraq
Russia banks on Syrian unity As Moscow grapples with the changes in the region, it continues to support an inclusive peace process in Syria. Iraq
Did Shiite fatwa save Baghdad from 'Islamic State'? Iraqi Shiites have rallied to defend the capital from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), with few visible signs of Iranian fighters. Iraq
Jordan boosts military presence on Iraq border Jordanian officials say they can thwart any jihadist advance from Iraq. Iraq
The Syria disconnect in US Iraq policy Iraq welcomes Syrian airstrikes on ISIS; Aleppo’s water crisis. Saudi Arabia
Will Assad reach out to 'national opposition' in Syria? According to Syrian officials, the re-elected President Bashar al-Assad will likely carry messages of reform and rapprochement with the so-called “national opposition” in his July 17 address marking his third term. Syria
Iraq’s ambassador to US: war with ISIS 'acid test' of US-Iraq ties Lukman Faily, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States, says that in light of the urgency of the Iraq crisis, “we will not be in a position to choose our partners and whoever is available to help us in our survival war, then we will take that.” Saudi Arabia
