Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says US strikes render April ceasefire ‘meaningless’ Fresh US strikes and Iranian retaliation deepen regional tensions, while Washington tightens sanctions, France pushes for a larger role in Lebanon, and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Russia in talks on 'reformatting' its military sites in Syria: What to know Moscow signals it wants to maintain its presence in Syria, where President Ahmed al-Sharaa recently said that Russian bases will be converted into training centers. Syria
Newsletter: Business & Tech Gulf investors eye payday ahead of SpaceX IPO The IPO could leave Saudi investors holding a combined stake worth well over $15 billion in one of the world’s most coveted technology companies. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says Iran will 'pay the price’ for dragging out talks US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Wednesday, saying that Tehran had waited too long to reach a deal after the largest direct exchange of fire between the two countries since an April ceasefire. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Bahrain Salafists Increase Involvement in Syria War Bahraini Salafists are playing a role in the fight against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Bahrain
New Syrian Institution Helps US Deliver Humanitarian Aid A senior US aid official tasked with coordinating humanitarian assistance to Syria says he is “all for” prolonging the Syria war if it leads to a “democratic Syria.” Syria
Lebanese Shiites' Divisions Intensify Over Syria The murder of a student leader of an anti-Hezbollah Shiite group has served as a reminder of historical and shifting divisions within Lebanon’s Shiite community. Lebanon
Syria's rebels in rift with Aleppo's civil opposition Aleppo's civil opposition has been swept aside as hard-line armed groups assert their power in the city. Syria
Syrians Add to Yemen Refugee Crisis As with a previous wave of refugees that fled from Syria to Yemen during former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad's reign in the 1980s, Syrian refugees arriving there today find political, economic and security instability. Yemen
Syrian Government Deals With Currency Collapse The Syrian government has increased public sector employees' salaries and has kept its monthly ration coupons to counter the effects of war and sanctions on the economy. Syria
Syria in 'Free Fall' Edward Dark describes the despair in both Aleppo and a Syrian prison; Syria is in “free fall,” according to the chairman of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria. Israel
Geneva II: A Chance to End Syria’s Tragedy There is hope that the Geneva II conference can help stem Syria's bloodshed. Lebanon
Turkey's Sunni Identity Test The Turkish government’s sectarian impulse, resurging whenever foreign policy fails, reverberates in domestic politics and fans social unrest. Iraq
Iraqi Shiite Cleric: Iraqi Extremism A 'Transitory Phase' In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Iraqi Shiite authority Hussein al-Sadr shares his perspective on the state of affairs in Iraq 10 years after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Iraq
Conditions for Takeoff for Geneva II Russia and the United States must reach an understanding to set Geneva II up for success. Lebanon
