Syria

Syria

Syria stands at a pivotal juncture as it charts a path following the fall of the Assad regime. Syria’s new government faces the task of rebuilding a shattered economy and establishing state institutions capable of managing a diverse and war-affected population. A durable US-Syria partnership depends on sustained cooperation across reconstruction, governance, and Syria’s reintegration.

Featured commentary & analysis

Hof in Defense News: Defeating ISIS and Protecting Civilians in Raqqa

MENASource
Jul 1, 2026

The US is sending Syrian asylees back. Syria isn’t ready.

By
Diana Rayes 

The US Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status programs crates a troubling global precedent.

Migration
Syria

Hof in Defense News: Defeating ISIS and Protecting Civilians in Raqqa

MENASource
May 4, 2026

Syria needs a trustworthy digital ecosystem to support its revival

By
Nadia Farra

Robust digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and cybersecurity are no longer luxuries for high-income nations but fundamental requirements for national stability and economic resilience.

Freedom and Prosperity
Inclusive Growth

Hof in Defense News: Defeating ISIS and Protecting Civilians in Raqqa

MENASource
Feb 20, 2026

Syria is not Libya, but it could become one if the world looks away

By
Kurt Davis Jr.

There are lessons from Libya’s fragmentation and collapse that can be applied now as Syria sits at a similar inflection point.

Conflict
Libya

Programs

Syria Project

The Syria Project advances policy engagement and international partnerships during a pivotal political transition. It serves as a leading platform for independent analysis and high-level dialogue on US-Syria relations, economic recovery, governance, and regional reintegration, leveraging deep networks across Washington, Damascus, and the broader Middle East.

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Learn more about the Middle East programs

Middle East Programs

Working with our allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.

EXPLORE THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL’S MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMS

Content

In the News

Mar 31, 2017

Hof in Defense News: Defeating ISIS and Protecting Civilians in Raqqa

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full article here.

Syria

In the News

Mar 31, 2017

Hof Quoted by the New York Times on ISIS and the Syrian Conflict

By Frederic C. Hof

Read the full article here.

Syria

In the News

Mar 31, 2017

Stein in CFR: Reconciling US-Turkish Interests in Northern Syria

By Aaron Stein

Read the report here.

Syria Turkey

SyriaSource

Mar 31, 2017

Obama and Trump on Assad: Change of Policy?

By Frederic C. Hof

Syria-watchers, including members of the United States Senate, reacted critically to statements by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley about the Trump administration’s position on the status of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In Ankara on March 30th Tillerson commented that Assad’s long-term status “will be decided by the […]

Syria

In the News

Mar 29, 2017

Stein Quoted by Rudaw on Turkish-Russian Cooperation in Syria

By Aaron Stein

Read the full article here.

Russia Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 29, 2017

Rebels Advance in Hama Countryside as Regime Mobilizes Army Again to Defend City

By Saleem al-Omar

Syrian rebel forces have reached the village of Qamhana in the northern Hama countryside, the scene of fierce clashes between regime forces and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (the Levant Liberation Committee), which includes jihadist factions such as the Fateh al-Sham Front (formerly the al-Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front). The village lies four kilometers (2.4 miles) from Hama […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 29, 2017

A responsibility to project? Power, law, and ‘nascent norms’ in the Levant

By Anthony Elghossain

America and its allies eviscerated in practice what they elevated in principle. They adopted a bunch of tactically disjointed, strategically counterproductive, morally abysmal, and logically barren half-measures and remedial programs.

International Norms Syria

In the News

Mar 29, 2017

Stein Quoted by the Financial Times on Turkey’s Military Operation in Syria

By Aaron Stein

Read the full article here.

Syria Turkey

SyriaSource

Mar 28, 2017

Deir Ezzor, the ‘Forgotten City,’ Is Becoming Important for ISIS

By Hasan Arfeh

The city of Deir Ezzor joined the Syrian revolution early on, and protestors organized a number of demonstrations against the regime in 2011 and continued until the city emerged from regime control in 2012. After that, many groups in the Syrian opposition and Islamist battalions passed through Deir Ezzor. In July of 2014, the city […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 28, 2017

Beyond Syria: Iran and Future Conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia

By Ali Alfoneh

The catastrophic war in Syria seems to have gotten nearer to a tragic conclusion, but the end of this war may herald the beginning of other regional conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia. What began as peaceful protests against the Assad regime’s dictatorial rule, soon evolved into a proxy war between Iran on […]

Iran Syria
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Experts

Fellow

Ibrahim Al-Assil

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Yesar Al-Maleki

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Iraq Initiative Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Geopolitics & Energy Security

Fellow

Samir Altaqi

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Middle East

Fellow

Wa’el Alzayat

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Economy & Business

Fellow

Lukas Andriukaitis

Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Disinformation Eastern Europe

Staff

Elise Baker

Senior Staff Lawyer, Strategic Litigation Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Civil Society Extremism
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