Damascus

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
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.
SDF leader Mazloum Abdi (L) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) signing a deal to end the war between their two groups, March 2025.

New security accord between Syria, SDF points to structural realignment, implementation uncertain

The new agreement, described as a “qualitative shift,” differs in both form and substance from previous understandings reached in recent years.

|ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

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.

|ByASHER SMITH
A group of civilians carry bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

Kobane under siege: Humanitarian corridors open amid Syria's Kurdish crackdown

A resident of Kobane said, “We are in a dire condition. We are melting snow through fire, but we do not have [enough] fire to melt the snow with."

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

As end of ceasefire between Syrian gov’t and Kurds approaches, region asks if it will continue

An extension of the ceasefire would be in the interest of most groups involved.

JANUARY 24, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian citizens celebrate and raise Syrian flags on January 20, 2026 in Raqqa, Syria.

Turkey deploys advanced radar at Damascus airport, raising Israeli concerns

Turkey deployed an advanced radar system at Damascus International Airport, a move Western sources warn could restrict Israel’s freedom of action in Syrian airspace and heighten regional tensions.

JANUARY 21, 2026ByAMICHAI STEIN
HTRS-100 air traffic control radar system, produced by the Turkish defense company ASELSAN.

Is Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa a master geopolitical chess player? - analysis

Ahmed al-Sharaa has proven to be an adept player of geopolitical chess. Now he will be tested on his ability to win the peace in Syria.

JANUARY 20, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
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.

Syrian deal with SDF could lead to Turkey-PKK peace, Turkish officials say

After days of fighting, the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on Sunday to bring Kurdish authorities under the control of Damascus.

JANUARY 19, 2026ByREUTERS
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media at the end of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 23, 2025

SDF reports clashes near ISIS detention sites in Hasaka and Raqqa

The SDF reported armed group attacks on ISIS prisons in Syria's northeast as clashes with Syrian government forces raise fears of renewed instability and terrorism.

JANUARY 19, 2026ByREUTERS, JAMES GENN
Men, suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, gather in a prison cell in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019.

Syrian government, SDF agree on immediate ceasefire on all fronts, state media says

Syrian state media reported that Damascus and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces reached an immediate ceasefire after days of clashes in Kurdish-held areas of the northeast.

JANUARY 18, 2026ByREUTERS, JAMES GENN
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa signs a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces, Damascus, January 18, 2026.

Syria's government faces pivotal moment against SDF, as it retakes largest oil field - analysis

Overnight on January 17 and 18, there were major changes on the ground as Arab tribal fighters claimed to seize control of a number of villages and two oil fields on the East side of the Euphrates.

JANUARY 18, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Soldiers from the Syrian Democratic Forces stand in front of the detainees before the first exchange operation between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government in Aleppo, Syria, April 3, 2025.

After Kurdish forces were expelled from Aleppo, Kurds fear new Syrian offensive - analysis

There are also concerns about how detainees are being treated by the Syrian authorities and about the desecration of the bodies of the fallen.

JANUARY 14, 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.

Israel, Syria deal has ‘great potential’ to expand Abraham Accords, envoy to US tells ‘Post’

In an interview with the Post and remarks to Fort Worth Jews, Ambassador Yeichel Leiter discusses Syria, the Trump administration, and how Jews can combat rising antisemitism.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByCORINNE BAUM
Yechiel Leiter, standing in front of an Israeli flag

Syrian Army to strike Aleppo as Kurdish forces reject evacuation after ceasefire announcement

A ceasefire was declared in Aleppo by Syria's Defense Ministry after clashes with Kurdish forces, with Damascus claiming it will "escort departing militants" to northeastern Syria.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByJAMES GENN, REUTERS
Security forces affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior stand guard in the Ashrafieh neighbourhood, which they have taken control of, according to the Interior Ministry, following battles with the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 9, 2026.