Why Assad may be helping Islamic State’s offensive - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Mohammed al-Khatieb

Mohammed al-Khatieb

Jun 18, 2015

Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad walk inside the government- controlled Hanano barracks after what they said was an offensive against them by Free Syrian Army fighters in Aleppo April 17, 2014. The regime forces said that Free Syrian Army fighters carried an offensive against them by digging a tunnel and blowing up part of the Hannano barracks in an attempt to seize it and failed to do so. REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT MILITARY) - RTR3LPQX — Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad walk inside the government-controlled Hanano barracks after what they said was an offensive against them by Free Syrian Army fighters in Aleppo, April 17, 2014. — REUTERS/George Ourfalian

IS advances in northern Aleppo

Mohammed al-Khatieb

Mohammed al-Khatieb

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (2nd L) at a hotel in Vienna, Austria June 27, 2015. Senior U.S. and Iranian officials said much hard work still needs to be done to bridge significant differences on an agreement to curb Iran's nuclear programme. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RTX1I13O

Did Khamenei blur his own red lines on sanctions?

Week in Review

A Free Syrian Army fighter fires a weapon inside a damaged building during clashes with forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at the frontline in Handarat area, north of Aleppo May 21, 2015. REUTERS/Hosam Katan TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX1E0J0

Rebels unlikely to find success in Aleppo

Mona Alami

Who is killing Syrian opposition figures in Aleppo, Idlib?

Tamer Osman