Kurds

Syria's future: Can Ahmed al-Sharaa reconcile democracy, Islam, and minority rights? - opinion

Ahmed al-Sharaa clearly does not believe his twin aspirations are mutually incompatible, though they may be. Where is an Islamic state that is truly democratic?

|ByNEVILLE TELLER
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa delivers a speech on the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad's fall, in Damascus, Syria December 8, 2025.
Members of the Kurdish community and other protesters attend a demonstration against recent military clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Berlin, Germany, January 24, 2026.

The fall of Rojava was not a conspiracy, it was a failure of strategy - opinion

Rojava did not fall due to a covert agreement among global powers, as claimed. Instead, its collapse was largely self-inflicted.

|ByVEYSI DAG
Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after US-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters captured Deir el-Zor, in Syria December 7, 2024

Rojava defeated: Why Kurdish leadership must adapt or risk extinction - opinion

Kurdish political weaknesses and bad strategies are highlighted as risks for the region and Israel.

|ByAMED MARDIN
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) is welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, on January 28.

Syria's old dangers remain: Don’t be fooled by the Syrian strongman’s suit - opinion

Israel saw elected Hamas turn Gaza into a terror enclave, Hezbollah enter Lebanese politics while building a missile empire, and now al-Shaara massacre minorities while wearing a suit.

|ByMICHAEL FREUND

Syria’s Sunni Islamist regime consolidates power, ending Kurdish autonomy

BEHIND THE LINES: The arrival of Syrian forces to Qamishli sets the seal on the effective demise of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).

FEBRUARY 7, 2026ByJONATHAN SPYER
A MEMBER of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces rides on a car, while vehicles of the internal security forces of the Syrian government arrive in the city of Qamishli during the curfew, following an agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government on Tuesday.

Damascus reaches out to rival Kurdish factions amid eastern Syria transition - analysis

The changes on the ground are part of a January 30 deal between the Syrian Transitional Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

FEBRUARY 4, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian Public Security Forces drive through a crowd as they enter the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 3, 2026, under an integration deal with Kurdish authorities.

WATCH: Massive fire breaks out in Tehran shopping center amid protests

Firefighting teams arrived at the scene in Tehran's Jannat Abad neighborhood, attempting to extinguish the fire. It remains unclear if the fire was directly related to anti-regime protest activity.

FEBRUARY 3, 2026ByJAMES GENN
Smoke rises during a fire at Janat Abad Market in Tehran, Iran, February 3, 2026.

Damascus courts Kurdish trust with arrests, Kurds say Sharaa must acknowledge Rojava atrocities

While reports indicate a member of the Syrian Arab Army was arrested for butchering the braid off a murdered female SDF fighter, Kurds say they are still waiting for the violence to be acknowledged

FEBRUARY 2, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Members of the Kurdish forces stand guard as Syrian government internal security forces enter the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on February 2, 2026.

Violent Islamism in plain sight spills over in Syria - opinion

As Sharaa continues to disempower the SDF, thousands of ISIS extremists and fighters are poised to spill over into the heartland of Syrian minorities.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026ByQANTA AHMED
Residents cheer as Syrian government internal security forces enter the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on February 2, 2026.

Kurds in Iraq are powerbrokers in Iraq’s politics, but do they benefit? - analysis

Iraqi Shi’ite leaders arrived in Erbil for talks with Kurdish officials as political deadlock deepens over appointing a new president and prime minister.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Supporters of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gather to protest what they say is U.S. interference in Iraq’s sovereignty near the entrance to the Green Zone, which houses the U.S. embassy and other missions, in Baghdad, Iraq, January 29, 2026.

Senators seek assurance with Save the Kurds Act as Sharaa regime, SDF agree to integration deal

The Save the Kurds Act calls for snapback sanctions if the Syrian regime recommences attacks on Kurds and demands that HTS be redesignated as a terrorist organization

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Syrian Kurds demonstrate to demand their rights in the Syrian constitution and in support of Kurdish unity, in Qamishli, Syria February 1, 2026.

Trump speaks with Syria’s Sharaa to ensure peace, cooperation in eastern Syria

As Syria seeks to continue the ceasefire and also works with the US to avoid tension, as Syria’s president is also heading to Russia.

JANUARY 28, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025.

Kurdish women turn braids into symbol of resistance after Syria atrocities - explainer

Across global demonstrations and in thousands of videos posted online, Kurdish women and their allies have begun braiding their hair in honor of a female Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces fighter.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
DEMONSTRATORS HOLD a placard featuring a braided hair as a symbolic act of resistance and solidarity with Kurdish women in Syria, during a protest supporting Syrian Kurds after recent clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 24, 2026.

US, UK, France, Germany, call for ceasefire adherence in Syria, support political transition

The statement was released on January 27, two days after the STG and SDF announced they had extended a four-day ceasefire, which began on January 20, by 15 more days.

JANUARY 27, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.