Abdulnasser Al-Ayed explains that for Russia’s ‘safe zone’ proposal to work, Moscow will need to consider U.S. concerns despite attempts to sideline Washington in the Syrian peace process
Munzer Eid laments the decision by the U.S. president to include Saudi Arabia among the destinations for his first foreign trip, in piece for loyalist newspaper Al-Thawra
Rebel leader Abou Ammar says the international community’s disregard for Tehran and Moscow’s role in Syria will result in an expansion of the conflict beyond Syria’s borders, Alsouria Net writes
Russian-sponsored deal will involve the forced relocation of around 8,000 people to Idleb and Aleppo provinces, opposition outlet writes
Saudi-owned Al-Hayat reports rebel delegation approves plan but chooses to walk out of negotiations in protest at Assad regime’s continued bombardment of opposition areas
Russian-authored memorandum will enforce weapons-free zones in four areas of the country in order to restore infrastructure and services while allowing for the return of displaced people
Serving as a battleground for countless foreign and ideological belligerents, the greatest danger facing Syria is the fragmentation and polarization of its society, Walid al-Bunni writes
Russian delegation also holds bilateral meetings in the Kazakh capital with Iranians and the United States, Syrian state media reports
Armed opposition gives preliminary approval of Russian plan involving the establishment of “tension reduction” zones in Idleb province, north of Homs city, Eastern Ghouta and the country’s south
Opposition website speaks to source who claims first batch of detainees – which include those sentenced for violent crimes – will be sent to fight on the Deir-ez-Zor front against ISIS
Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayoub says Iran, Russia and Hezbollah are the only forces who can foil the conspiracy against Syria, government outlet reports
Army of Islam accused of firing on civilians protesting against the ongoing clashes between powerful rebel groups, opposition media reports
Syrian state media reports Israeli attack targeted area southwest of Damascus airport, as opposition sources claim strike destroyed weapons cache for Lebanese Hezbollah militants fighting inside Syria
Fighters and their families from Foua and Kafraya have taken up new residence in an area cleared by Iran and Hezbollah in 2013 with a view of creating a Shiite presence there, opposition outlet Zaman al-Wasl reports
The Assad regime is scrambling to receive assurances from allies and make sense of U.S. policy after the Trump administration’s surprise strike on a Syrian air base. But Damascus is failing to see that rules of the game have already changed, Yahya Al-Aridi writes for opposition outlet All4Syria
Opposition media center reports that Syrian government forces and allied militias continue to target rebel-held areas with heavy bombardment, now for the 40th day in a row, as the death toll rises in some residential districts
Unnamed source claims Walid al-Muallem told U.S. official that Syria cannot be held accountable for killing civilians as long as America is responsible for civilian deaths in ISIS-held Mosul, opposition website Zaman al-Wasl reports
Opposition outlet All4Syria reports on a recent decision to remove the old stalls from the grounds of the Umayyad Mosque, one of the most important Shiite pilgrimage sites in Damascus, with local council citing ‘abuse of antiquities’ as reason for action
U.N. envoy tells reporters in Switzerland that cease-fire guarantors Russia, Turkey and Iran worked actively to ensure the success of a possible political settlement during trilateral meetings in Tehran, state news media reports
Activists and monitoring groups claim FSA troops kill over 50 Shiite militants in four weeks of fighting throughout Hama province, meanwhile a rebel missile attack kills Russian and regime personnel in the province’s northern countryside, opposition website Zaman al-Wasl reports
