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.

|BySETH 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.
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.

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.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
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.

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.

|ByURI PILICHOWSKI
US CENTCOM attacks ISIS targets.

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.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS

Syria's future: Can Ahmed al-Sharaa reconcile democracy, Islam, and minority rights? - opinion

Ahmed al-Sharaa clearly does not believe his twin aspirations are mutually incompatible, though they may be. Where is an Islamic state that is truly democratic?

FEBRUARY 9, 2026ByNEVILLE TELLER
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 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.

FEBRUARY 9, 2026BySETH 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.

Why Lebanon's Mount Dov is key to securing Israel’s northern border - analysis

The formerly Syrian-administered area, conquered by Israel in 1967, has been the site of many Hezbollah-related incidents, which have reinforced its importance for national defense.

FEBRUARY 9, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Activity of the 810th Brigade on Mount Dov.

The fall of Rojava was not a conspiracy, it was a failure of strategy - opinion

Rojava did not fall due to a covert agreement among global powers, as claimed. Instead, its collapse was largely self-inflicted.

FEBRUARY 9, 2026ByVEYSI DAG
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 defeated: Why Kurdish leadership must adapt or risk extinction - opinion

Kurdish political weaknesses and bad strategies are highlighted as risks for the region and Israel.

FEBRUARY 9, 2026ByAMED MARDIN
Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after US-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters captured Deir el-Zor, in Syria December 7, 2024

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.

FEBRUARY 9, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian security forces take control of Al-Hol camp in the desert region of Hasakeh Province, Syria, on January 21, 2026

IDF confirms death of senior Hezbollah artillery commander in Lebanon strike

Additionally, IDF troops carrying out a targeted raid on a structure in southern Lebanon apprehended a senior operative from the Jamaa Islamiya.

FEBRUARY 9, 2026BySHIR PERETS, JAMES GENN, TPS
Soldiers from the IDF's 810th Mountain Brigade operate in Lebanon's Mount Dov, September 2025.

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.

FEBRUARY 7, 2026BySETH 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, Saudi Arabia ink mega investment deals in push for reconstruction after years of war

The deals follow Syria's hosting of the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Chevron and a Qatar-based company to pursue offshore oil and gas exploration.

FEBRUARY 7, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Internal security forces vehicles affiliated with the Syrian government prepare to enter the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, following an agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Tel Brak, near al-Hasakah, Syria, February 3, 2026.

Syria’s only female minister warns: 'We can’t survive without unity'

“I don't feel that I am a Christian or a woman when I do my job. I feel like I am a Syrian citizen. The minute I start feeling like I’m a minority or I’m a woman, I will lose my legitimacy," she said

FEBRUARY 7, 2026ByESTHER DAVIS
Newly appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Hind Kabawat speaks during a Ministerial formation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, in Damascus, Syria March 29, 2025.