ISIS

Syrian officials attend anti-ISIS coalition talks in Saudi Arabia

Syrian officials attended meetings of the International Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Riyadh on February 8 to 9, marking Syria’s growing role in the US led alliance.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani looks on during a meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan August 12, 2025.
Syrian security forces take control of Al-Hol camp in the desert region of Hasakeh Province, Syria, on January 21, 2026

Iraq faces renewed security concerns as ISIS detainees are transferred from Syria - analysis

Iraq is taking in thousands of ISIS prisoners from Syria, raising concerns over security in border provinces and testing the country’s ability to contain militant threats.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Members of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces wait for the arrival of the security forces of the Syrian government during the curfew, following an agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, February 3, 2026.

Syria continues to deploy forces, integrate SDF into defense establishment following agreement

After clashes in January, the SDF and Syrian government agreed to cooperate and find a way to enable Syrian forces to deploy to SDF-held areas in eastern Syria.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Women and children queue in the rain during a joint security operation by Syria's Kurdish Internal Security Police Force, and the Kurdish-led SDF at Camp Roj where foreign relatives of people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group are held, April 5, 2025.

UK quietly repatriates 'ISIS brides,' children from Syria's Al-Roj detention camp - report

Reports of the returns, which have not been addressed by government officials, came amid turmoil over control of detention sites as the SDF and Damascus battle for territory and custody arrangements.

|BySHIR PERETS

US confirms troops on ground in Nigeria amid ISIS counterterror push

The US has sent a small team of troops to Nigeria following December airstrikes on ISIS targets, marking the first confirmation of US forces on the ground.

FEBRUARY 3, 2026ByREUTERS
Newspapers with articles reporting US President Donald Trump's message to Nigeria over the treatment of Christians hang at a newspaper stand in Ojuelegba, Lagos, Nigeria November 2, 2025.

Trump’s strategic unpredictability is designed to keep Iran off-balance - opinion

President Trump’s Iran policy feels confusing, and that’s the point, to create strategic instability.

FEBRUARY 3, 2026ByPESACH WOLICKI
L to R: Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump against backdrop of respective flags and missile strikes.

Iran's Khamenei labels protesters 'seditionists' akin to Islamic State as regime kills thousands

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iranian protesters carried out acts similar to Islamic State and blamed the US for creating the group.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026ByJAMES GENN
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei looks on during a meeting at the IRGC Aerospace Force achievements exhibition in Tehran, Iran November 19, 2023.

Syrian government forces enter SDF held Hasakah after ceasefire deal

Syrian Interior Ministry forces entered Hasakah on Monday under a deal with the US-backed SDF, marking a key test of coordination after weeks of clashes.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian Interior Ministry security forces vehicles prepare to enter the city of Hasakah in northeastern Syria, following an agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces reached on January 30, in Al-hasakah, Syria, February 2, 2026.

Why Washington shifts from Syria’s Kurds to Sharaa - opinion

Trump’s military and political backing for the SDF as the central anti‑ISIS instrument has now evolved to a policy where they are a problem that needs solving.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026ByNEVILLE TELLER
US President Donald Trump meets Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in the White House, Washington, DC, November 10, 2025

Maryland man who tried joining IS pleads guilty to planning attacks against Jews, Israel supporters

“I’m just gonna get out in 20 years, and I’m just gonna do it here. Okay? Jihad will never stop. I’ll come, and I’ll kill you.”

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByESTHER DAVIS
A Shia Muslim waves a giant black flag in protest against ISIS and the use of terrorism in the name of Islam during a religious procession of US Shia Muslims at Lafayette Square, outside the White House in Washington, DC on December 06, 2015.

Trump’s Maliki message underscores Iraq’s growing strategic risk, won't back him as PM - analysis

Maliki was last in charge in 2014, when ISIS took over part of Iraq. He spent years in the wilderness before returning to the spotlight.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
US President Donald Trump walks during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 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.

ISIS numbers grow as Syrian instability continues, Iraq warns

In the rare interview, al-Shatri said Iraqi intelligence estimates suggest that ISIS’s presence in Syria has grown from roughly 2,000 fighters a year ago to as many as 10,000 terrorists today.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByASHER SMITH
A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

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.