Lebanon authorities release Salafist cleric Khaled Hablas: What to know Hablas was imprisoned for his role in the deadly 2014 clashes with the military and Hezbollah and his release follows Syria lobbying for the return of militants detained in Lebanon. Lebanon
Syria restores Raqqa oil field in former ISIS stronghold: What to know Before Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, national oil production stood at between 400,000 and 500,00 barrels per day before falling to under 100,000 bpd during the conflict. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran’s Ghalibaf: US must accept Tehran proposal By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border. Turkey
Analysis MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
UN Forces on Israel’s Borders Confront Uncertain Future Geoffrey Aronson writes from Cairo that while Egypt and Israel appear to be weathering the storm, for now, not so for Israel and Syria, with implications for UN forces tasked with keeping the peace. Egypt
Israel’s Strategic Reset Israel is reconsidering its new strategic approach to the region in the context of US policies toward Iran, Syria, Egypt and Israeli-Palestinian peace, writes Ben Caspit. Egypt
Hezbollah Leader Defends Involvement in Syria Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is basing his involvement in the Syrian war on grounds that are both religious and having to do with the conflict with Israel, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
Hezbollah Leader 'Will Not Let Syria Fall' Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said that "Syria has real friends in the region, and the world will not let Syria fall into the hands of America, Israel or [radical Islamist] groups," reports Ali Hashem from Beirut. Lebanon
Archbishops' Abduction Should Be A Warning to Turkey The abduction of two Syrian archbishops by armed men on their way to Aleppo while returning from Turkey should be a warning to Ankara that it needs to review its security policies, writes Kadri Gursel. Syria
Russia Confronts Mideast SalafistsBy Courting Christians, Minorities Russia is courting Middle Eastern minorities, especially Christians, in a bid to confront Salafist extremism, writes an Al-Monitor correspondent in Beirut. Israel
Lebanon's Future Movement Deals With Syria Conflict Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian conflict has been a point of controversy within Lebanon across all sects, writes Elie Hajj. Lebanon
The Red Line in Syria Has Long Been Crossed Shlomi Eldar wonders why the world waits for the use of chemical weapons to launch a military operation ending the bloodshed in Syria. Israel
Why Russia Does Not Believe Syria Used Chemical Weapons Russia does not believe that Syria used chemical weapons against insurgents, and therefore considers this week's revelation as information warfare to escalate the conflict, writes Fyodor Lukyanov. Syria
Did Israel Ambush the US on Syria? Whether or not Israel planned to ambush the US on Syria's chemical weapon use, the result has been successful in moving the US closer to Israel's position, writes Alon Ben David. Israel
In Israel, 'Slip of the Tongue' On Syria Puts Pressure on US Though a senior Israeli intelligence officer's declaration that Syria has used chemical weapons wasn't intended to embarass US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the bigger problem is how the US will deal with its own red lines, writes Ben Caspit. Israel
Hezbollah Prepares for Attacks by Jabhat al-Nusra in Lebanon As Jabhat al-Nusra’s presence grows in Lebanon’s Sunni strongholds, Hezbollah braces itself for potential combat, writes an Al-Monitor correspondent in Beirut. Lebanon
