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Changing Syrian landscape will pose risks for Israel

Location:

ISRAEL/SYRIA

The strikes are likely efforts to prevent Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia militia, from using its involvement in the Syrian conflict to acquire sophisticated weaponry. Israeli fears…

Damascus will balance between Moscow and Tehran

Location:

SYRIA

He had kept a low profile in late January, prompting rumours of illness, or even a coup plot. The president’s absence from the limelight came at a sensitive time. Following talks…

Damascus can manage fragmented military forces

Location:

SYRIA

President Bashar al-Assad's two principal foreign backers, Russia and Iran, support and to some extent direct sizeable forces in Syria on which Assad relies. That contributes to a…

Russia risks mission creep as Syrian rebels dig in

Location:

SYRIA

Since the start of Russian airstrikes last September, the rebels have suffered their largest territorial loss to the regime in two years. The new counter-insurgent strategy…

Israel will play up Syria actions but avoid escalation

Location:

ISRAEL

This comes amid a recent rise in Israeli military operations in Syria as part of efforts to prevent Iranian military entrenchment and supply of weapons to sympathetic groups.

Salafi-jihadist groups face defeat in Syria’s Idlib

Location:

SYRIA

The bomb came as HTS launched a campaign to crack down on its salafi-jihadist rival Islamic State (IS) in the areas of northern Syria where it has influence. HTS is seeking a…

Al-Qaida core could keep control of Syria’s Idlib

Location:

SYRIA

The last major rebel-held area in Syria, Idlib province is under the military control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a salafi-jihadist rebel alliance. Jaysh al-Ahrar, the largest…

A Saudi Arabia-Iran deal will boost security and trade

Location:

SAUDI ARABIA/IRAN

Relations between Riyadh and Tehran have long been characterised by political tension, and episodes of proxy military confrontation. Ties reached their nadir in 2016 when…

Hezbollah and Israel will avoid intentional escalation

Location:

LEBANON

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah -- a Shia militant group and political party -- last month announced that the organisation would shoot down any Israeli drones in…