In first, Israel’s Netanyahu says he held call with Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa It is the first publicly disclosed contact between the leaders of Israel and Syria, which lack formal relations and have fought several wars. Sharaa’s government began US-mediated talks with Israel in 2025. Syria
Analysis Why Syria and Iraq are taking different approaches to armed groups In a break from past policies, the new governments in Damascus and Baghdad are clamping down on militant groups with the capacity or desire to harm regional partners. By Shelly Kittleson In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics
Culture Syria reopens Aleppo's 1,300-year-old Great Umayyad Mosque after 13 years Syrian authorities are working to restore cultural landmarks and ancient sites that had been damaged or destroyed during the civil war. Syria
Analysis Why Syria sending troops to Yemen would be a risky bet for Sharaa Syria insists it will not send troops to fight the Houthis alongside Saudi Arabia, but its economic dependence on Riyadh could complicate Damascus’ resistance to the idea. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel's Oct. 7 accountability debate By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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
Syrian stakeholders woo tribes to influence country's future After the defeat of IS in Raqqa, the still-warring Syrian regime and opposition forces as well as outside interested parties are trying to win over Syrian tribes to their sides to guarantee their roles in determining Syria's direction. Syria