As key players look to fill the vacuum after the expected fall of ISIS’ capital of Raqqa, Al-Hayat columnist Ibrahim Hamidi breaks down the serpentine motivations behind the recent surge in international action on Syrian soil
After an Israeli attack against an Iranian weapons shipment to Hezbollah in Syria, the writing is on the wall that Assad no longer commands respect anywhere as Russia and Iran try in vain to prop up a discredited regime
The war has destroyed Syria’s economy, with economic losses reaching over $275 billion and the country’s oil and power sectors suffering severe damage
Amid Russian-Iranian political rivalry over influence in Syria, more concrete competition in the sphere of economics surfaces as Damascus, in deference to Russian requests, delays implementation of strategic agreements with Tehran
Kurdish displays of multi-directional alliances with Russia, Iran and the U.S. come as no surprise, as all sides, united in curtailing Turkey’s influence in the region, contemplate the preservation of an Alawite state
This charade called Moscow and Cairo’s platforms is only an accessory to the Syrian regime
The two warring Syrian sides do not have the power to reject or obstruct any peace deal and the position of the new US administration on Syria will determine whether the Geneva talks will be successful
The decline of Iran’s dominance is inevitable due to its diverging interests with Russia in Syria and the emergence of an American policy shift
Political opposition stands its ground against attempts by Moscow to influence the make-up of its negotiating delegation at the upcoming Geneva talks, while the US presidency begins meetings with UN and regional leaders on the Syrian issue, Sada al-Sham writes
In the lead-up to the Syria talks in Geneva, attendees should prepare for the US president to shift focus from the political process to the issue of establishing safe zones, Ali Dahi writes in loyalist Al-Watan
Opposition media reports on interview between rebel negotiator and German press agency DPA following rumors of rebel representatives accepting inducements from the Assad regime
Iranian president hails the liberation of Aleppo as a critical step towards establishing peace and stability in Syria as countries ready to gather in Kazakhstan for negotiations on the crisis
Walid Bunni asks whether the US president-elect will continue the Obama administration’s stance in denying the goals and freedoms of the region’s people for the past eight years
Assad tells visiting MP that Iran and other states that support the Syrian people are partners in the achievements made against terrorists
Russia’s acknowledgment of the armed opposition is one of the requirements of profiting politically from the victory in Aleppo. This means that transforming the military victory into a political settlement requires recognizing the enemy before sitting with him and agreeing to a solution to the conflict.
Iran’s head of MENA affairs says visit by Syrian FM aimed at cementing coordination following Aleppo victories
Research shows a wave of purchases by Iranian traders involving a large amount of Syrian real estate in a number of cities including Damascus and Homs
Sources claim the Turkish president could lighten his tough stance on his Syrian counterpart on the condition of cooperation in preventing the establishment of a Kurdish entity
Unannounced negotiations are being held between American and Russian representatives to draft constitutional and political principles for a solution built on the principle of “political quotas” close to “the moderate Lebanese model”
The unpredictability of Russia’s Syria policy troubles both its allies and enemies who worry the Kremlin may be selling empty promises ahead of upcoming peace talks in Geneva
