SyriaSource

SyriaSource followed the dynamics in Syria through in-depth analysis of the impact of the conflict on Syria, its neighbors and the international community. Amplifying a diverse range of Syrian and regional voices—to reach both English—and Arabic-speaking audiences, SyriaSource transforms their words from strong but distant ideas to resounding perspectives not often heard among Washington and international policymakers. For the latest work on Syria, please visit MENASource.

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The latest on Syria


MENASource

Sep 24, 2025

Is a new era of Turkey-Syria economic engagement on the horizon?

By
Ömer Özkizilcik and Levent Kemal

The convergence of Turkey’s and the Gulf’s economic strategies in Syria presents an opportunity for Washington.

Democratic Transitions
Middle East


MENASource

Sep 17, 2025

In landmark Syria elections, women still face electoral hurdles

By
Marie Forestier 

As the indirect electoral process begins, Syrian officials could take several steps to increase women’s chances in this process.

Civil Society
Democratic Transitions


MENASource

Sep 10, 2025

Ten questions (and expert answers) on Operation Inherent Resolve’s end in Iraq

By
Atlantic Council experts

This new frontier in the US-Iraq relationship leaves many opportunities, challenges and unknowns. Our experts unpack it all.

Defense Policy
Democratic Transitions


MENASource

Aug 25, 2025

Dispatch from Syria’s Christian strongholds: A new government, a full political spectrum

By
Gregory Waters

The conditions of Christian communities across the country remain varied, with the opinions of religious and community leaders deeply mixed.

Civil Society
Democratic Transitions


MENASource

Aug 8, 2025

Sweida’s humanitarian crisis presents a test for Syria’s transitional government and its global partners

By
Diana Rayes 

Sweida is not an isolated tragedy—it is a litmus test for Syria’s fragile political transition and for the international community’s resolve to respond to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

Conflict
Economy & Business


MENASource

Jul 30, 2025

After Swaida: How Syria’s periphery is shaping its future

By
Ibrahim Al-Assil

What comes next in Syria will not be determined by battlefield victories or summit declarations, but by the evolving realities on the ground.

Conflict
Democratic Transitions


MENASource

Jul 24, 2025

In a sectarian Syria, the winners should refrain from taking all

By
Marie Forestier 

To avoid the complete supremacy of HTS-supporting Sunnis, it is crucial to adopt power-sharing mechanisms ensuring inclusiveness

Democratic Transitions
International Norms


MENASource

Jul 22, 2025

Why the violence in my hometown, Swaida, goes beyond ‘rivalry.’

By
Majd AlGhatrif

US officials described the events as “a rivalry” between Syria’s Druze and Bedouins. But this framing strips the crisis of its historical and political context.

Civil Society
Conflict


MENASource

Jul 2, 2025

Why al-Sharaa’s success in Syria is good for Israel and the US

By
Itai Melchior and Nir Boms

Israel will be wise to align its policy with those who seek to integrate Syria rather than with those who seek to fragment it.

Democratic Transitions
Israel


MENASource

Jun 26, 2025

Dispatch from Damascus: Church attack shows transition’s fragility

By
Ibrahim Al-Assil

The bombing at Mar Elias Church is more than an isolated tragedy. It is a signal that Syria’s transition remains vulnerable to sabotage.

Democratic Transitions
Middle East

Content

SyriaSource

Aug 31, 2017

How Jabhat al-Nusra Hijacked the Syrian Revolution

By Abdullah Almousa

Battles between opposition groups in northern Syria have threatened the Syrian revolution and left Jabhat al-Nusra (now part of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) in control of Aleppo and Idlib; how did that happen?

SyriaSource

Aug 30, 2017

The Regime’s “Reconciliation Deals” and Iran’s Expansionism

By Feras Hanoush

The past two years have seen a series of truces between the Syrian regime and rebel groups. Such deals, labelled by the regime as “national reconciliation” agreements, lead the two sides to compromises that extract them from existential battles of attrition. To persist, they require all sides to enter in good faith and abandon the […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 29, 2017

Syria’s Buffer Zone Along the Euphrates

By Hossam Abouzahr and Tarek Radwan

The Pentagon announced on August 21 that it agreed to a buffer zone (or deconfliction line) that roughly adhered to the Euphrates River. This new buffer zone agreement re-establishes a previous agreement and was reached after the United States shot down a Syrian regime SU-22 in June, creating fears of escalation that could draw international […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 25, 2017

Rules for Reconstruction in Syria

By Steven Heydemann

On August 17, Syrian officials oversaw the opening of the first Damascus International Exhibition since the start of the Syrian uprising. Reflecting the triumphalism now widely on display in Damascus, the exhibition—an international trade fair—has been heavily promoted by the Assad regime, presented as a symbol of its victory over the insurgency that began more […]

Syria

Rebuilding Syria

Aug 25, 2017

The Awkward Space for Syria’s Post-Conflict Reconstruction

By Emma Beals

International political opinion about the future of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has shifted. President Donald Trump’s revocation of any remaining support for the covert CIA ‘Train and Equip’ program, and French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent admission that the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is no longer a key policy objective, demonstrate the faded political […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 24, 2017

Amid Factional Conflicts, the Regime Prepares to Reclaim Eastern Ghouta

By Hasan Arfeh

Nothing after May 15, 2017 was as it had been before. It began with the operations to remove opposition fighters and residents from the Damascus neighborhood of Qaboun, in accordance with the agreement between the Syrian regime’s forces and the factions that oppose it. The neighborhood, which lies northeast of the capital, is considered the […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 22, 2017

The Battle for Raqqa: A War of Tactics and Caution

By Abdullah al-Ghadawi

The base of the Islamic State’s (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) power is in Raqqa and Mosul and is connected with each side deploying fighters across the border in mass. But while the United States and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) took back Mosul, the same cannot be said of Raqqa, which continues to deplete the Syrian […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 18, 2017

Idlib Residents Struggle with al-Qaeda Linked Groups

By Hashem Osseiran and Wissam Frangieh

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) military dominance in Idlib has not been translated into total popular support. Today, the province is split between those who accept the extremist group and those who are pushing back against its rise to prominence. 

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 15, 2017

Could Federalism Work for the Syrian Crisis After Years of Conflict?

By Hosam al-Jablawi

As the Syrian crisis enters what could be its final phase and the battle between the regime and the opposition appears to have frozen, discussion is growing around options for a political solution for the country, different parts of which are controlled by disparate forces. A federal regime, as proposed by Russia and welcomed by […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Aug 15, 2017

Who’s in Charge?

By Frederic C. Hof

For a fleeting moment on the 10th of August the high wall of media apathy over the war in eastern Syria and its connection to American national security interests was breached. A reporter asked an American military spokesman about the anti-terror implications of permitting Iranian-led, Shia foreign fighters and armed elements of the Assad regime […]

Syria
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