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 on Key Players in Syrian Conflict

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 on Key Players in Syrian Conflict

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 on Key Players in Syrian Conflict

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

Nov 23, 2014

Hof on Key Players in Syrian Conflict

By Frederic C. Hof

Huffington Post quotes Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Frederic Hof on the role of Iran and the Obama administration in the ongoing conflict in Syria:

Iran Syria

MENASource

Nov 21, 2014

Syria: Can Washington and Ankara Get on the Same Page?

By Frederic C. Hof

Although Turkey is part of the anti-Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) coalition, it has attached a condition to its full participation in and support of military operations against the forces of the self-proclaimed caliph.

Syria

Event Recap

Nov 20, 2014

Ex-US Officials Urge Broadened US Strategy in Syria, Iraq Wars

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Ground Forces Will Be Needed, General James Jones Says Ground troops, perhaps even Special Forces, will ultimately be required to defeat the Islamist militant army of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, General James L. Jones told the Atlantic Council’s Energy & Economic Summit in Istanbul today. Jones, a former national security advisor in the Obama […]

Iraq Syria

In the News

Nov 18, 2014

Hof on No-Fly Zones in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

The Daily Telegraph quotes Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Frederic Hof on creating buffer zones for Syrian refugees:

Syria

Article

Nov 17, 2014

Hezbollah in a Time of Transition

By Bilal Y. Saab and Daniel Byman

With the Middle East in flux and sectarianism on the rise, the Lebanese group finds itself overtaxed and on the defensive. Read Now (PDF) The Syrian conflict is transforming the Lebanese Hezbollah. A movement that long claimed to transcend sectarianism is now the longest pole in the Syrian regime’s tent, and has become a bogeyman […]

Middle East Syria

In the News

Nov 17, 2014

Itani on the Fate of Aleppo

By Faysal Itani

The Daily Beast quotes Rafik Hariri Center Resident Fellow Faysal Itani on whether the Syrian city of Aleppo is likely to fall to the Assad regime:

Syria

MENASource

Nov 17, 2014

Moving from Words to Action in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

In his Brisbane, Australia press conference at the end of the G20 summit, President Barack Obama sought, through a simple rhetorical expedient, to put an end to rumors that the United States would collaborate with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as […]

Syria

MENASource

Nov 12, 2014

Countering ISIS: Obama Administration Strategy

By Frederic C. Hof

At Andrews Joint Base on March 14, 2014 President Barack Obama told visiting uniformed defense chiefs that a key aspect of destroying the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS, also known as ISIL and the Islamic State) would be the promotion of moderate, legitimate governance inside Syria; governance that would ultimately be extended to […]

Syria

MENASource

Nov 10, 2014

Reassuring the Supreme Leader?

By Frederic C. Hof

The Wall Street Journal published a report by Jay Solomon and Carol Lee on November 6, saying that in mid-October of this year President Barack Obama dispatched a secret letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Iran Syria

In the News

Nov 8, 2014

Hof on Iran’s Involvement in Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Al Arabiya quotes Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Frederic Hof on President Obama’s letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:

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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