World powers may have warmed to the idea of Assad remaining, but the president will not survive long after the transitional phase, Walid al-Bunni writes
Assad’s displacement of opposition fighters to Idleb has resulted in a violent contest between the two key factions over which of the groups newly arrived fighters will join, Walid al-Bunni writes
Assad’s failure to secure the areas he retakes will be the opposition’s last hope in gaining public support, a former media executive writes for Saudi-owned newspaper
Kurdish Democratic Union Party leader speaks with Saudi-owned outlet about the ongoing battle for the ISIS-held city, accusations of ethnic cleansing, and the Gulf crisis
In loyalist Al-Watan, Information Ministry advisor Bassam Abu Abdullah calls for nation-wide development and a correction of course to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past
Ex-president of the Coalition announces he will be stepping down from the Saudi-backed body over disagreements on reform, Zaman al-Wasl reports
Reduced production due to lack of rainfall and barricading of arable land by pro-regime forces, source explains to Iqtissad
Loyalist Al-Watan writes that events in Syria are witnessing a shift in favor of Assad as American and opposition forces, as well as those states which back them, deal with defeat and infighting
French President Macron must convince Moscow of the benefits of a political solution if Paris hopes to have any luck in settling the Syrian crisis, Michel Abu Najm writes for Saudi-owned newspaper
Zaman al-Wasl chronicles Doha’s commitment to the Syrian revolution and its opposition against the government of Bashar al-Assad since 2011
Syria is witnessing a recovery thanks to the withdrawal of Wahhabi terrorist groups including ISIS and the Nusra Front, president tells Indian media
We should be wary of placing too much hope on the outcome of the most recent Astana talks, as the three previous rounds in the Kazakh capital produced little results, Walid al-Bunni writes
Naim Ibrahim questions the reason behind Qatar’s funding of fighters in Syria and its calls for the departure of Assad, asking: would Doha give up power if the shoe was on the other foot?
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
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
Assad’s top political and media advisor speaks to Lebanese television, framing the U.S. strike in the scope of CIA efforts to punish Damascus, claiming that the attack on the base came in the wake of victories by government forces against terror groups, state media reports
Opposition members and activists decry the forced relocation of thousands of civilians from the “four Syrian towns” as part of a negotiation deal to release kidnapped Qatari businessmen, Paula Istih writes for Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat
It will be up to the armies of Syria, Iraq and Russia to defend the interests of their people by preventing the breakup of Middle Eastern geography for benefit of Western energy interests, Ali Hashem writes for pro-regime Al-Watan
Political representatives in south Damascus voice their rejection of an agreement between rebels and Iran which will see the exchange of fighters and their families from areas surrounding the capital and Idleb, opposition outlet All4Syria reports
President Bashar al-Assad gave an interview to Croatian newspaper Vecernji List published Thursday, in which he reflects on six years of conflict, the negotiation process and the fight against terrorism. The following is the full text as published by government news agency SANA
