Syria

Trump’s Muslim Brotherhood policy collides with Erdogan - opinion

Donald Trump will have to choose which side of history he is on as a collision between principle and power is coming.

|ByLIRON ROSE, AMIT SHABI
Abdul Hamid Thunaibat of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, speaks as he addresses people gathered to pay condolences after the killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri, at the headquarters of Jordan's Islamic Action Front, in Amman, Jordan January 3, 2024
YUSUF QABLAWI, CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Company, Frank Mount, head of Corporate Business Development at Chevron, and Erik Keskula, CEO of Power International Holding, sign a memorandum of understanding to develop an offshore oil and gas field for Syria.

In potential game-changer, Syria moves ahead on oil deal with Chevron, Qatar - analysis

This could be a major game-changer for Syria as it begins to regrow its economy after decades of sanctions and isolation.

|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
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.

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.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Iraq says it will begin legal proceedings against ISIS prisoners transferred from Syria

More than 10,000 members of the ultra-hardline terror group have been held for years in about a dozen prisons and detention camps guarded by the SDF in Syria's northeast.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByREUTERS
A Syrian national flag flutters next to the Islamic State's slogan at a roundabout where executions were carried out by ISIS militants in the city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate, Syria April 1, 2016.

Beyond the Headlines: Stronger than we think

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

JANUARY 22, 2026BySIVAN RAHAV MEIR
A protester waves the pre-Islamic Revolution Iranian flag outside UN headquarters during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran in New York on January 15, 2026.

Syria accuses Kurds of breaking truce in 'dangerous escalation,' tenuous peace deal threatened

The Syrian army said an attack took place as soldiers were securing a captured military base containing explosives, calling it a dangerous escalation.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByREUTERS
Soldiers of Syrian government forces stand by on a position 10 km away from the city of Hasakah in northeastern Syria on January 21, 2026.

Protesters outside US embassy demand US, Israeli action after Kurdish massacre

Several signs pointed to Israel’s close relationship with the Kurdish community. One read “Israel loves Kurdistan,” while others went further, openly calling for military action against the regime.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Around 50 protesters gathered outside the US embassy to protest against what they described as Washington's inaction in the face of the latest massacre in Syria carried out by the Sharaa regime, on January 21, 2026.

CENTCOM says up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be moved to Iraq from Syria

"Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities," CENTCOM said.

JANUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
U.S. soldiers attached to the Iowa National Guard sign GBU-31 munitions systems in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 18, 2025 as the U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on U.S. personnel.

After SDF withdrawal, Syrian government takes control of Al-Hol, ISIS family detention camp

Experts believe Al-Hol camp represents one of the most dangerous security challenges in the region, citing repeated killings and cases of enforced disappearance.

JANUARY 21, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
A group of detainees gather at al-Hol camp after the Syrian government took control of it following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Hasaka, Syria, January 21, 2026.

High-stakes truce between SDF and Syrian forces: Four days to resolve Hasakah issue - analysis

A statement published by the Syrian presidency said that over the next few days, the SDF is expected to develop a detailed plan for practical integration into Syrian institutions.

JANUARY 21, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
Members of the Syrian government security forces stand guard as a group of 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.

Turkey is Trump’s Eisenhower moment: Will he set a precedent in Syria? - opinion

Trump now has the opportunity to set a different precedent – one that distinguishes accommodation from endorsement, and allies who constrain instability from strongmen who monetize it.

JANUARY 21, 2026ByARIEL HARKHAM
Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, February 4, 2025

'October 7 moment for Kurds': Israel must assist Syria's Kurds amid attacks, analysts tell 'Post'

Over the last decade, the SDF worked with the US and defeated ISIS in Syria. However, now the SDF is facing major setbacks, and Kurds fear they may be massacred.

JANUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Kurdish internal security forces member stands guard with a weapon as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with the people in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo, in Hasakah, Syria January 7, 2026.

Erdogan, Trump discuss Syria, Gaza in call as Syria announces ceasefire with Kurdish forces

Turkey separately weighed whether Erdogan should join the US leader's "Board of Peace" initiative.

JANUARY 21, 2026ByREUTERS
US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gesture as they pose for a photo, at a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025.