US faces uneasy choice between Lebanese Christians and Syrian refugees

Lebanese Christians are making a religious case for the Trump administration to back the repatriation of refugees to Syria

Lebanon

Two to watch at the UN General Assembly: Turkey’s Erdogan and Iraq’s Salih

Turkish leader meets Trump ahead of safe-zone deadline; Iraqi president offers new direction for Iraq and region.

Iraq

Syrians fill language classes as Russian influence grows

Syrian students, aware that Russian influence is in their country to stay, see learning Russian as a key to both higher education and employment.

Syria

Intel: How Syria is driving a wedge between Russia and Israel

The show of unity during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Russia on Sept. 12 can’t paper over the sharp differences between the two countries over Syria.

Israel

Congress aims to restore Syria stabilization aid

Congress is calling for the State Department to spend $130 million on stabilizing Syria next year, a rebuke to the Trump administration’s efforts to zero out the fund in its 2020 budget proposal.

Syria

Turkey at odds with US and Russia over northern Syria

As Ankara loses ground in Idlib, President Erdogan’s threat of military action east of the Euphrates raises the stakes for Turkey.

Syria

Erdogan touts grand plans to resettle Syrian refugees in safe zone

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims a safe zone in northeast Syria could be used to resettle up to three million refugees currently in Turkey and Europe, but critics doubt his proposal is feasible.

Syria

Has Erdogan revealed Ankara’s occupational goals?

Syrian Kurds and Armenians fear a Turkish-run safe zone east of the Euphrates, particularly since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had threatened to establish a military safe zone east of the Euphrates and labels the Kurdish People's Protection Units as terrorists.

Syria

What the latest Astana summit tells us about Iran’s position on Syria

Russia, Iran and Turkey continue to negotiate a settlement to the Syrian war that works to their advantage.

Syria

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham loses third leader in Syria this year

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition of Islamist groups fighting against regime forces in Idlib, Syria, is facing dissent within its ranks and accusations of corruption by one of its own leaders.

Syria

How latest Astana talks between Turkey, Russia, Iran went beyond Syria

What the Astana guarantors agreed upon in Ankara will have implications for Syria but the way the leaders communicated past each other each is even more telling.

Saudi Arabia

As Israel’s anti-Iran strategy shifts into higher gear, worries of fresh conflict grow

Israel's escalated campaign to contain Iran and its Hezbollah allies has provoked fear that a new conflict may erupt among neighbors.

Iraq