In this news round on Syria, we examine several significant developments unfolding in the country. Reports have surfaced that 40,000 Arab fighters from Iraq, Yemen, and Syria have gathered near the Golan Heights to support Hezbollah in its conflict with Israel. Meanwhile, Turkey’s President Erdogan has pushed for reconciliation talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, signaling a potential thaw in relations after years of hostility. On the humanitarian front, the UN has boosted efforts at the Syrian-Lebanese border, where thousands of people, including Syrian refugees, are fleeing escalating violence. Additionally, an opinion piece calls for the U.S. to admit the failure of its regime-change policy in Syria and suggests re-establishing relations with Assad. Finally, Russia’s strategic investments in Syria’s agricultural sector underscore its long-term plans to use Syria as a hub for exporting agricultural products and securing economic advantages. Together, these stories highlight the complex interplay of military, political, and economic forces shaping Syria’s future.
40,000 Arab fighters gather near occupied Golan Heights to support Hezbollah – report
Thousands of militia fighters and mercenaries from three Arab countries have reportedly arrived near Syria’s occupied Golan Heights to aid Hezbollah in its ongoing war with Israel, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Tuesday, as quoted by The New Arab.
Around 40,000 fighters had come to Syria from “a number of countries, including Iraq, Yemen and Syria”, the report claimed, citing unnamed sources in the Israeli military.
The fighters were reportedly within “the vicinity of the Golan Heights” waiting for orders from Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, to join the fighting, the daily said, without citing any evidence to support the claim by the Israeli military source.
“They’re not elite fighters, but neither is the Nukhba Force, and nevertheless we saw what a force of 2,000 to 3,000 gunmen can do when they surprise and attack a community,” the daily said, referring to the Hamas-led surprise attack on Israel on 7 October.
“If the need arises, we will also act in Syria to make it clear to [President Bashar] Assad that we are no longer accept their presence there,” the daily cited an unnamed senior defence official as saying.
So far, Damascus, Hezbollah, and Tel Aviv have not released any official statements regarding the claims made by the report.
Erdogan-Assad meeting ‘possible’ despite hurdles, key Syrian opposition leader says
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s calls for talks with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad are a long shot but meant to send a message of reconciliation in a region increasingly distracted by war, the head of Syria’s main opposition abroad said, according to Reuters.
Ankara, which long backed rebels seeking to oust Assad, has stepped up its push for direct talks as it tries to secure its border with Syria and seeks the return of more than three million Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey.
Hadi Al Bahra, president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, said an Erdogan-Assad meeting was “possible” even though Ankara fully understands that Damascus cannot currently deliver on its demands.
“Turkey is very eager about this,” he told Reuters. “They see clearly what they need to achieve… but know very well the limitations of (Assad’s) regime.”
“They know it’s difficult and it will take time, but they are building a case… and sending clear messages to the world and to the regime, including to Arab countries,” Bahra said late last week at the coalition’s Istanbul office.
His note of caution comes as Erdogan made his latest appeal to Assad on Saturday, saying Turkey was “waiting for a response” from its southern neighbour, which has been riven by 13 years of war that drew in the United States, Russia, Iran and Turkey.
UN boosts support at border with Syria
The serious escalation in hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel has forced “tens of thousands” of people to flee their homes in Lebanon, including Syrian refugees, leaving border routes to Syria choked with vehicles trying to get through, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Wednesday.
“Hundreds of vehicles are backed up in queues at the Syrian border; many people are also arriving on foot, carrying what they can,” UNHCR reported. “Large crowds, including women, young children and babies are waiting in line after spending the night outdoors in falling temperatures. Some carry fresh injuries from the recent bombardments.”
UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said that the news was “yet another ordeal for families” who had fled years of civil war in Syria, “only now to be bombed in the country where they sought shelter…The Middle East cannot afford a new displacement crisis. Let us not create one by forcing more people to abandon their homes.”
Mr. Grandi’s appeal follows heavy Israeli shelling of Lebanon on Monday that has killed at least 558 people – including children and women – and injured 1,835, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Time for the US to admit defeat in Syria
The Boston Blobe published an article by Stephen Kinzer who argues that the U.S. should acknowledge the failure of its decade-long policy of regime change in Syria, which sought to depose President Bashar al-Assad.
Despite efforts led by former President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Assad remains in power, and countries that once supported the U.S. in this endeavor have begun to re-establish ties with Syria. The author calls for the U.S. to follow suit and abandon its regime-change approach.
Kinzer highlights that while Assad’s regime is marked by corruption and violence, continuing to pursue his removal is futile. The regime-change policy has failed, and many of Syria’s neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey, have begun to restore relations. Kinzer suggests that the U.S. should do the same, as other countries have recognized that the political and military landscape has changed significantly since the early days of the conflict.
The article also addresses the broader implications of the U.S.’s refusal to shift its policy, noting that maintaining sanctions and military presence in Syria isolates the U.S. from regional diplomacy and influence. Kinzer argues that recognizing Assad’s survival and allowing Syria to reunify under his government, however flawed, may provide a more realistic path toward stability and peace.
A Russian plan to control Syria’s agricultural sector
An article published by Enab Baladi highlights Russia’s growing influence in Syria’s agricultural and industrial sectors. Over the years, Russia has invested heavily in Syrian agriculture, primarily through projects like grain mills, dam construction, and food industries. Experts believe that Russia aims to use Syria as a hub for exporting agricultural products to the world via Mediterranean ports, benefiting from the country’s strategic location.
Initially, Russia’s involvement in Syria’s agricultural sector included cloud seeding projects and exporting crops to the Syrian regime. As the war in Syria progressed, Russia began leveraging Syria’s need for resources, particularly wheat, to further entrench its economic control. Russia signed contracts to supply wheat and later rebuilt grain mills, such as the Talkalakh mill, to boost Syria’s flour production.
Economists suggest that Russia’s investment is driven by several goals: earning foreign currency through wheat exports, maintaining food security to prevent the regime’s collapse, and using Syria as a testing ground for agricultural experiments. In addition to grain, Russia has also secured control over phosphate fields and fertilizer production in Syria, raising concerns about price hikes and the export of these resources.
Recently, Russia’s involvement has extended to a UN-backed project aimed at revitalizing Syria’s food industries. While Russia’s financial support for the project has been minimal, the initiative serves as a tool to improve Russia’s image among the Syrian population and strengthen its long-term presence in the region.
Overall, Russia’s strategy appears focused on securing economic and geopolitical advantages in Syria, rather than helping to rebuild its war-torn economy.
