Syria seizes arms shipment on Iraq border destined for Hezbollah The operation comes as part of the Syrian authorities' efforts to curb illicit arms smuggling through its territory, namely intended for Hezbollah. Lebanon
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near Tehran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations. Syria
Explainer How Macron seeks to carve out France's role in new Syria French President Emmanuel Macron became the first Western leader to visit Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, showcasing Paris' support for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa while seeking to secure a share of the country's emerging reconstruction market. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Kremlin confirms S-400 talks with Turkey By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran hits Gulf, warns Hormuz will reopen on its terms By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Erdogan's plans for Afrin might not sit well with Syria Turkey's president is talking about settling Syrian refugees in Afrin, suggesting that Kurds are not the dominant community there, and handing over the region to anti-regime groups. Syria
Turkey says US account of Trump-Erdogan call not 'accurate' A telephone conversation between the Turkish and US leaders has turned into a "he said-he said" affair as the gulf widens between the NATO allies over Syria. Syria
4 factors affecting Turkey's new operation in Syria As Turkey’s offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria nears the end of its first week, circumstances affecting the scope, progress and duration of the operation are complicated and full of risks. Syria
GCC's silence on Turkey’s Afrin adventure is telling The Sunni Gulf states have failed to make a unified statement on Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in Syria, a sign of their competing interests. Legacy: Gulf
Russia’s role in Turkish incursion into Syria is tricky Turkey’s ironically named Operation Olive Branch, its latest quest to crush the Kurds on its border, will likely affect Moscow’s carefully engineered Syrian peace process. Syria
Most Turks welcome army’s incursion into Kurdish-controlled northern Syria Many Turks are rallying behind the military operation launched over the weekend to undo the Syrian Kurds’ advances across the border, while activists accuse the government of criminalizing dissent. Syria
Turkey, Russia wage proxy war against Washington in Syria Syrian Kurds say Russia gave Turkey the green light for the Afrin operation after the Kurds refused to cede Afrin to the Syrian regime; can Turkey turn the situation to its long-term advantage? Syria
What's Hamas up to in Lebanon? Saleh al-Arouri, deputy chief of Hamas' political bureau, is busy reinforcing the movement's presence in Lebanon and mending ties with Hezbollah. Palestine
Both sides forced to up casualty estimates as Afrin battles rage The official body counts are rising as Turkey's Operation Olive Branch continues in Afrin, with at least 24 civilians dead so far and both sides exaggerating losses inflicted on the other. Syria
Islamic State desert bases still headache for Iraq As Iraqi forces continue cleansing the western desert to keep the Syrian-Iraqi border region calm, Islamic State counterattacks in Syria are posing a new risk across the border. Iraq
Erdogan scores big with Afrin operation, but problems remain Military experts say taking Afrin will be a tactical success for Ankara, but Turkey’s Kurdish concerns in Syria appear to be far from over. Syria
Conflicting reports emerge as Turkey's Olive Branch rakes Afrin In the chaos of Turkey's offensive in Afrin, Syria, both the Turks and Syrian Kurdish militants continue to claim the upper hand and dismiss each other's casualty reports as propaganda. Syria