Featured reading

Katz in Responsible Statecraft: Putin’s courtship of both Assad and Erdogan is spinning out of control in Syria

New Atlanticist Dec 8, 2024

Experts react: Rebels have toppled the Assad regime. What’s next for Syria, the Middle East, and the world?

By Atlantic Council experts

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has been ousted as opposition forces quickly took the Syrian capital. Atlantic Council experts share their insights on the developments.
Conflict Corruption
Katz in Responsible Statecraft: Putin’s courtship of both Assad and Erdogan is spinning out of control in Syria

Fast Thinking Dec 8, 2024

Assad has fallen. Now what?

By Atlantic Council

The power shift in Syria will reverberate across the Middle East and the world. Our experts explain what’s next.
Conflict Iran
Katz in Responsible Statecraft: Putin’s courtship of both Assad and Erdogan is spinning out of control in Syria

New Atlanticist Dec 9, 2024

Dispatch from Doha: Assad’s fall, Iran’s weakness, and the impact of unintended consequences

By Jonathan Panikoff

In just six months, Iran has slid from a position of strength to perhaps the weakest it has been since 1979.
Conflict Iran
Katz in Responsible Statecraft: Putin’s courtship of both Assad and Erdogan is spinning out of control in Syria

MENASource Dec 10, 2024

Where Syria goes next after the fall of Assad

By Frederic C. Hof

With the Assad family agone, Syria, at long last, has a chance to achieve the kind of political transition envisioned by the 2012 Geneva Final Communique and UNSCR 2254.
Conflict Middle East
Katz in Responsible Statecraft: Putin’s courtship of both Assad and Erdogan is spinning out of control in Syria

New Atlanticist Dec 10, 2024

A blueprint for bringing about a new Syria

By Kirsten Fontenrose

For a reconstruction strategy in Syria to be effective, all parties must adopt a unified approach that is clear-eyed about the country’s new leaders.
Crisis Management International Organizations

Explore our Syria work

Syria Project

Our work on Syria sheds light on the ongoing struggle of Syrians to fulfill their desire for democratic self-governance as the United States and the international community grapple with the aftermath of a devastating civil war, millions of refugees across the Middle East and Europe, and ongoing security and political challenges spilling over Syria’s borders.

Group of world leaders sitting around table set up.

Syria Strategy Project

The Atlantic Council, Middle East Institute, and European Institute of Peace collaborate with subject matter experts and policymakers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to sustainably forge a pathway to resolving Syria’s crisis.

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Featured experts

Leadership

Fellow

Qutaiba Idlbi

Resident Senior Fellow, Syria

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Economic Sanctions Entrepreneurship

Fellows

Fellow

Michel Duclos

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Conflict Crisis Management

Fellow

Arwa Damon

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Ömer Özkizilcik

Nonresident Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic English

Fellow

Sinan Hatahet

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Economic Sanctions

Former fellow

Hind Kabawat

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes 

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Past events

Online Event Thu, December 19, 2024 • 12:30 pm ET

Putin loses in Syria. Is Russia in retreat?
Conflict Europe & Eurasia Middle East Russia
Online Event Tue, May 21, 2024 • 10:30 am ET

Exploring investment opportunities in northwest Syria
Conflict Economic Sanctions Economy & Business Financial Regulation

Event Recap

Mar 29, 2024

Launching the Syria Strategy Project

By JP Reppeto and Charles Johnson

On March 18, 2024, the Atlantic Council’s Syria Project, the Middle East Institute’s Syria Program, the European Institute of Peace, and Madaniya Civil Society Network launched the Syria Strategy, an intensive process of engagement with subject matter experts and policymakers in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to […]

Civil Society Conflict
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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

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Content

In the News

Mar 2, 2020

Katz in Responsible Statecraft: Putin’s courtship of both Assad and Erdogan is spinning out of control in Syria

By Atlantic Council

Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Feb 28, 2020

Bryza joins Voice of America (Russian) to discuss Syrian regime’s military attack on Turkish soldiers in Syria’s Idlib province

By Atlantic Council

Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Feb 27, 2020

Tensions mount in Syria after strike on Turkish troops

By David A. Wemer

Atlantic Council experts respond to the airstrikes against Turkish soldiers in Idlib, as Russia and the Assad regime continue their collision course with Turkey in Syria.

Conflict Syria

MENASource

Feb 14, 2020

American passivity and weakness shine in Idlib province

By Frederic C. Hof

In a tribute to foreign policy continuity, the Trump administration upholds its predecessor’s Syria policy of gratuitously communicating passivity and weakness to adversaries.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Feb 12, 2020

Cohen joins RTVI (Russian) to discuss Turkey-Russia relations on the issue of Syria

By Atlantic Council

Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Feb 10, 2020

Iran’s credit line to Syria: A well that never runs dry

By Karam Shaar and Ali Fathollah-Nejad

There is barely an article about the Syrian economy since the 2011 uprising that does not entail a reference to that rather mysterious Iranian credit line.

Economy & Business Iran

In the News

Feb 3, 2020

Bryza joins Al Jazeera to talk about the Syrian government’s military attack on Turkish troops in northern Syria

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Middle East

SyriaSource

Jan 29, 2020

The uncounted: Life after war for Syria’s living martyrs

By Gregory Waters

For all Syrians, honoring the men who died fighting for their side’s cause is a central social event. But while martyrs are immortalized in life-sized posters on every street corner, wounded fighters, known as “living martyrs,” risk becoming outcasts in their communities.

Conflict Syria

In the News

Jan 10, 2020

Bryza quoted in Anadolu Agency on Turkey’s interests in Syria, Libya and Eastern Mediterranean

By Atlantic Council

Libya Middle East

In the News

Dec 30, 2019

Bryza joins TRTWorld to discuss targeting of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Syria
Conflict Iran
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Experts

Fellow

Amany Qaddour 

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes 

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

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

Fellow

Nicholas Blanford

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Alia Brahimi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society
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