Russia feels that the search for options for a political settlement in Syria must be accelerated because it is stuck between diverging military and political priorities with Tehran and Damascus
Have the Islamic State’s attacks on regime-held areas on Syria’s coast signaled the start of a new battlefront, or a sinister plan to regain the confidence of Assad’s disillusioned loyalists?
Questions remain as to why the key Lebanese Shiite group backed down from its accusations regarding the assassination of one of its top commanders in Syria
Tehran using commercial airline to transport troops and arms to support the Assad regime in Syria, German newspaper reports
It did not take long for the US to prove it was not a ‘friend of the Syrian people’ – if it ever was – but rather became a neutral actor at best
“Progress” in Damascus’ position following its acceptance of a “political transition” with its talk of forming an “expanded government”, in contrast to the HNC’s rigidity in clinging to the formation of a “transitional body” as the starting point for a political transition
Tehran’s decision to send more troops in defense of Assad’s home town has coincided with an increase in Iranian casualties, including 23 soldiers this month alone
“Aleppo: The Rise and Fall of Syria’s Great Merchant City,” Philip Mansel, 238 pages, I.B. Tauris, London, 2016
Syrian-based airline commences flights from Damascus to Tehran in an effort to ease travel between other countries and the Syrian capital
Deputy foreign minister says Moscow’s decision to pull out from Syria was agreed upon as Russia’s objectives had largely been fulfilled
Regime sources claim wide dissatisfaction exists among Alawites and military leaders regarding Tehran’s hegemony over political and military decisions in Syria
Leaders from both countries agree to take “incremental steps” to tackle the possibility of a Kurdish state in Syria’s north
Major military commanders now are among the many regime loyalists paying homage to the Russian president’s influence inside Syria
Officials explore new joint agreements, development of religious tourism and religious mission exchanges
Iran’s increased support for militias in the coastal province of Lattakia has exacerbated internal divisions between members of the Alawite sect
Washington is truly working for an independent Kurdish state in the near east
The UN’s proposed peace talks are hardly the result of a genuine desire to stop the killings. Instead, they are meant to create the illusion that the international community has now reached a consensus on Syria. This is patently untrue
Top diplomats meet in the Iranian capital to discuss distribution of aid to the Syrian people
Dozens of armed rebel groups rally behind Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut diplomatic ties with Iran following execution of Shiite cleric
The US retreat from the Middle East, Russian expansionism in the region, and an increase in Tehran’s influence in Syria and the region has led the pro-Assad camp to dominate the Syrian file as we witness a decline of other influential regional and international players from the scene
