Israel

Syria

Turkey

Russia

Military & Security

Russia will steadily hand over its two military bases in Syria -- its only military bases in the Middle East -- to the interim Syrian government by November, with the bases turned into joint Russo-Syrian training facilities, Syria's foreign ministry announced on Aug. 9.


Syria, Russia: Russia Slowly Winds Down Military Bases in Syria

United States

Economics

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump notified Congress of his decision to rescind Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, Reuters reported on July 8, citing an unnamed senior U.S. official.

U.S., Syria: Trump Moves To Rescind Syria's State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa selected 70 parliamentary legislators -- including 15 women and some representatives of minority groups -- ahead of the parliament's first session on July 6, AP reported July 1.

Syria: Al-Sharaa Appoints 70 Lawmakers to Parliament

U.N. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone told the U.N. Security Council that efforts to improve relations between the Syrian provisional government and the local authorities of Sweida province had made "no progress" since both sides agreed to a roadmap to prevent further conflict in 2025, Reuters reported on June 22.

Syria: U.N. Says No Progress in Sweida's 2025 Peace Roadmap

Iran

Lebanon

U.S.-Iran Relations

Speaking on the sidelines at the Group of Seven summit alongside Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Israel's campaign in Lebanon, saying it went too far, and added that he thought Syria would do a better job of fighting Lebanon's Hezbollah than the Israelis, Bloomberg reported on June 16.

Syria, Lebanon: Trump Suggests Syrian Troops Should Fight Hezbollah

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would remain in southern Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, despite the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, while far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the MoU would not bind Israeli policies, The Times of Israel reported on June 15.

Israel: Israel Vows To Keep Fighting, Despite U.S.-Iran Ceasefire

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, said it, along with Syria's provisional government, had found dozens of undeclared chemical weapons across Syria hidden during the rule of ousted President Bashar al Assad, The Defense Post reported on May 26.

Syria: Assad-Era Chemical Weapons Recovered

Europe

Turkey intends to fully reopen its Akcakale border crossing with Syria on May 12 for the first time since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, The New Arab reported the same day, citing officials.

Syria: Turkey To Reopen Civilian Border as EU Formalizes Sanctions Relief

Assessments

A Russian aircraft takes off from an airport in northeastern Syria's Hasakah province on Jan. 27, 2026. 

Syria's cooperation with the U.S. to remove nuclear materials and reduce Russian military influence will support its reconstruction efforts, but security challenges will continue to hinder major infrastructure projects.

Syria's Pro-U.S. Policy Shift May Secure Sanctions Relief, but Challenges Persist

Egypt

Jordan

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

United Kingdom

Right-wing activists gather with Israeli flags outside the Damascus Gate of the walled Old City of Jerusalem on May 26, 2025, during a flag march for Jerusalem Day, commemorating the Israeli army's 1967 capture of the city's eastern sector during the Arab-Israeli war.

Israel's quest for middle-power status will be defined by its ability to unify its Jerusalem core, which has remained divided throughout the modern state's history.

The Modern Geopolitics of Israel

Columns

On Geopolitics

Photos of prominent Hezbollah leaders are seen at the site of a reported Israeli airstrike which killed 6 members of the same family, on March 19, 2026 in Baalbek, Lebanon.

The trajectory of the war will be increasingly defined by a clash of strategic objectives that makes a quick resolution of the conflict unlikely.


The Impact the Israel-Hezbollah War Will Have on Lebanon

Iraq

Jordanian Armed Forces, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps forces and other international forces conduct a combined Arms Live Fire Exercise on May 23, 2024 in the desert near Azraq, Jordan. 

As the United States prepares to withdraw its final troops from Syria, Amman will likely expand cross-border security operations to counter Islamic State and disrupt drug smuggling networks.

Jordan Likely To Step Up Anti-Islamic State, Countersmuggling Operations in Syria

Somalia

Sudan

Libya

A dark earth map of the Middle East with glowing details of cities and human population density areas.

Two blocs are emerging in the Middle East: one focused on preserving existing states and institutions, and the other on creating new ones.

Preservation vs. Fragmentation: Two Paths Toward a New Order in the Middle East

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) inspect the honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on June 22, 2022.

After years of discord, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are finding common ground as they increasingly position themselves against Emirati- and Israeli-backed regional initiatives. 

Saudi Arabia and Turkey's New Regional Alignment

A fighter of the Syrian Democratic Forces stands on a road between the Syrian villages of Safa and Tell Brak on Jan. 24, 2026.

The government's deal with the Kurdish-led SDF will reduce sectarian tensions, accelerate a U.S. withdrawal and open space for a Syria-Israel security pact, though risks from local violence and the Islamic State remain.

What a Kurdish Integration Deal Means for Syria's Stability

A Syrian flag flutters above crowds gathering in central Hama, Syria, during celebrations on Dec. 5, 2025, marking one year since the fall of former President Bashar al Assad's regime.

The third Syrian state, under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, will likely emerge as a Turkish-aligned, authoritarian regime that prioritizes internal stability, reconstruction and regional neutrality, as it tries to avoid its predecessors' mistakes and excesses.

The Third Syrian State: Autocracy, Alignment and Al-Sharaa's Unique Neutrality

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

Citizens gather to welcome the arrival of vehicles transporting Kurdish fighters from the northern city of Aleppo to the Kurdish-controlled northeastern city of Qamishli on Jan. 11, 2026.

The government's success in forcing the Kurdish-backed militia out of the city will likely reduce fighting there, but it may also lead to a larger localized conflict in the northeast that disrupts Kurdish integration and potentially oil exports.

In Syria, the SDF's Withdrawal From Aleppo Will Complicate Kurdish Integration Efforts

Soldiers ride atop an armored vehicle during a military parade in Idlib, Syria, on Dec. 8, 2025. 

Domestic political maneuvering and limits on foreign military support will constrain Syria's ability to rebuild its military following the end of the country's civil war.

Internal Divisions Will Hinder Syria's Military Modernization

Snapshots

Israeli troops patrol the border fence with Syria near the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights on July 23, 2025. 

While the new U.S.-backed intelligence-sharing agreement will help temporarily ease cross-border tensions, unresolved security issues and structural constraints undermine the prospects for deeper normalization.

Syria-Israel Deal Paves Way for Broader Security Coordination, but Constraints Remain

<p>Modern Syria is located along the eastern Mediterranean Sea, bordering Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq. Syria&rsquo;s main geographic challenge is uniting its diverse ethnic groups under one domestic power. This is the result of mountainous terrain and ethnic cores that contradict the state&rsquo;s current borders. Syria&rsquo;s population is composed of Sunni Arabs, Alawites, Kurds, Druze, and Christians, among others. The traditional core of Syria&#39;s ruling Alawite minority sits on the northern coastal plain to the west of the Jabal an Nusayriya mountains and to the north of the Anti-Lebanon mountains. Between these two ranges, the Homs Gap has often been the point of invasions from the Mediterranean Sea. The interior region is dominated by the majority Sunni Arab peoples. The Syrian Desert divides this area into two competing regions with strong local identities. The first, Damascus, is the historical capital and the modern seat of power for the Alawites. The other, Aleppo, is situated in the agricultural heartlands of the Aleppo plateau. The Euphrates river divides this plateau from the much more arid Jazirah plateau and allows for irrigation in an otherwise desert region. Syria&rsquo;s modern boundaries fall short of the historical concept of Greater Syria&mdash;spanning from Lebanon to the west and Jordan and Israel to the south. Its current borders were set by the League of Nations&#39; French Mandate, following the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. Lebanon, especially Beirut, has always been important to Syria because of its trade ports and access to Mediterranean markets. Syria&rsquo;s recent civil unrest is the latest example of its geographic challenge. Maintaining unity remains difficult so long as its current boundaries continue to overlap regional and ethnic fault lines.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Syria, Russia: Russia Slowly Winds Down Military Bases in Syria

U.S., Syria: Trump Moves To Rescind Syria's State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation

Syria: Al-Sharaa Appoints 70 Lawmakers to Parliament

Syria: U.N. Says No Progress in Sweida's 2025 Peace Roadmap

Syria, Lebanon: Trump Suggests Syrian Troops Should Fight Hezbollah

Israel: Israel Vows To Keep Fighting, Despite U.S.-Iran Ceasefire

Syria: Assad-Era Chemical Weapons Recovered

Syria: Turkey To Reopen Civilian Border as EU Formalizes Sanctions Relief

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