Syria

Syrian government, Druze renew participation in new US-backed talks - report

Reports say that a prisoner deal in Sweida could pave the way for a deal that resolves the crisis with Damascus and provides locals with administrative and security powers.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Syrian man takes up arms at a gasoline station in a frontline village on January 23, 2026 in Sweida, Syria.
Members of the Syrian government security forces stand guard as a group of female detainees gather at al-Hol camp after the government took control of it following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Hasaka, Syria, January 21, 2026.

EU memo raises security concerns over mass escape from IS-linked Syria camp

The memo said the status of third-country national escapees remained unclear, with many in the camp being "highly radicalised."

|ByREUTERS
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.

Rojava failed, but Kurdish pragmatism may succeed where utopia did not - opinion

Rojava is shifting from revolutionary autonomy toward conditional integration.

|ByVEYSI DAG
Armed members of the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) military police take part in a demonstration under the banner “With our will, we will protect our revolution”, in Qamishli, Syria, September 17, 2025.

ISIS attacks near Raqqa signal growing threat amid US withdrawal - analysis

The Syrian security forces have mostly closed a large camp called Al-Hol, where families linked to ISIS had been confined. Around 15,000 of these family members left, most of them children.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Israel’s law shaped Trump’s historic recognition of Golan Heights - opinion

President Donald Trump’s 2019 recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights sparked global debate over law, history, and security.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByURI PILICHOWSKI
CLOUDS OVER a village on the Golan Heights

Moving suspected ISIS prisoners to Iraq shows Washington doesn’t fully trust Damascus, expert says

Professor Eytan Gilboa warned that Tehran may pressure Iraq to allow the country to become a ground to challenge the Sharaa regime.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Women and children seen inside al-Hol camp, amongst them some 6,200 women and children from around 40 nationalities, and including relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists in the desert region of Hasakah province on January 25, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Iraq's Kurds emerge as Middle East's key diplomatic players at Munich Security Council - analysis

The KRG has helped smooth the transition in eastern Syria by working with Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces, also hosting US forces and other anti-ISIS coalition forces.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, gives a joint press conference with France's Foreign Minister in Arbil, the regional capital, on February 5, 2026.

Syria projects unity at Munich Security Conference, but the real test awaits back home - analysis

The question is whether the Syria on display in Munich is the future or whether hurdles back home could derail its situation.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in Munich, Germany, February 13, 2026, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

Israel never annexed the Golan Heights: Why it still matters - opinion

Israel extended its sovereignty to the Golan Heights. The difference between extending sovereignty and annexing is important and instructs Israel's future policies.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByURI PILICHOWSKI
IDF SOLDIERS take part in a military training exercise in the Golan Heights on Wednesday. Although most of the world assumes Israel annexed the Golan Heights, and did so illegally, the Jewish state never actually did, the writer says.

US strikes 30 Islamic State targets in Syria as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the forces used precision munitions delivered by fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aircraft.

FEBRUARY 14, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
US CENTCOM attacks ISIS targets.

Iraq nears end of US-led ISIS prisoner relocation as thousands are transfered from Syria

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces gave up control of most of eastern Syria, including around 30 ISIS detention facilities, to the Syrian government in January.

FEBRUARY 12, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

US security firm used in Gaza aid in talks with Trump administration for role in Board of Peace

UG Solutions made the disclosure after Reuters reported it was recruiting Arabic-speaking contractors with combat experience for work in undisclosed locations.

FEBRUARY 11, 2026ByREUTERS
Palestinians seek aid supplies from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in the central Gaza Strip, August 4, 2025.

US pulls out of Syria’s al-Tanf base after 15-day equipment removal, relocating to Jordan - report

The al-Tanf base is strategically located in the tri-border area of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. It was established as a key hub for operations by the global coalition against Islamic State terrorists.

FEBRUARY 11, 2026ByJAMES GENN
Syrian Democratic Forces and U.S. troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria November 4, 2018

How US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack plays key role in creating a new Syria, Levant region - analysis

Barack plays a key role as US ambassador to Turkey, Special Envoy to Syria, and one of the key figures in American policy in the Levant, while also keeping constant dialogues with Gulf state actors.

FEBRUARY 11, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack attends a press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, in Damascus, Syria September 16, 2025.