Damascus

Aleppo Loss Marks a Turning Point for Assad’s Regime

The ease with which rebel groups captured Aleppo (North) and advanced toward central Syria has shaken Bashar al-Assad’s legitimacy, fueling the ambitions of his opponents, analysts unanimously say. The capital remains well-defended, with the army launching a counteroffensive on Wednesday, aided by Russian airstrikes. However, the blow dealt in ...

Israel Strikes Car on Damascus Airport Road: State Media

An Israeli airstrike hit a car on the Damascus airport road on Tuesday, causing it to explode, Syria's official news agency SANA reported. "A car exploded after it was targeted in an Israeli aggression on the road to Damascus International Airport," SANA reported, citing a police source. It did not say who was targeted or if there were any ...

Iraqi Armed Group Calls on Baghdad to Deploy in Support of Assad

Iraq's powerful Iran-aligned Kataeb Hezbollah armed group has called on Baghdad to send troops to Syria to support the Damascus government against a rebel offensive. Kataeb Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades, made the appeal in a statement shared on pro-Iranian Telegram channels late Monday. Excerpts were also posted on its official website. The ...

Araghchi in Ankara: Iran and Turkey Advocate Syrian Sovereignty

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi, continued his regional tour on monday, in Ankara, by meeting his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, following a visit to Damascus. In a joint press conference, Aragchi emphasized the agreement between Tehran and Ankara on a key principle: "The unity and sovereignty of Syrian territories must be ...

Iran to Maintain Military Advisers in Syria After Aleppo Loss

Iran said on Monday that it plans to keep military advisers in Syria after its ally's second city Aleppo was overrun by rebels in a surprise offensive. The Islamic republic, which has backed President Bashar al-Assad since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011, says it only deploys military advisers in the country at the invitation of ...

Iranian FM Vows Full Support to Syria in Meeting With Assad

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Damascus on Sunday to deliver a message of support to Syria's government and armed forces, days after rebels launched a swift offensive capturing Aleppo, the coutry’s second largest city, and other localities.  Araghchi is said to have assured Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ...

What’s Behind the Syrian Rebels' Push to Retake Aleppo ?

Rebel forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad have launched their biggest offensive in years this week, controlling a majority of Syria's second city of Aleppo according to a monitor. Government forces offered little resistance, the war monitor said, and the army admitted that rebels had entered "large parts" of the city. Syrian ...

More Than 200 Dead in North Syria Army-Jihadist Fighting

A war monitor said on Thursday more than 200 people, mostly combattants, have been killed in fighting after jihadists and allies launched a major offensive on government-controlled parts of Syria's northwest a day earlier. The toll in ongoing battles "has risen to 182 (combattants), including 102 fighters from HTS", a jihadist ...

Second Israeli Strike in Two Days Hits Damascus

Syrian state-run media said Israel struck the upscale Mazzeh district of Damascus on Friday, the second such attack in as many days to hit the neighborhood home to embassies, security headquarters and United Nations offices. Attacks blamed on or claimed by Israel have intensified in Syria, including in areas near the Lebanese border mainly ...

Larijani… Go Home

That being said, if Larijani arrives bearing humanitarian aid and suitcases brimming with cash — let’s say at least $5 billion to start rebuilding the tens of thousands of homes destroyed due to his country's successive strategic blunders — then perhaps the 1.5 million internally displaced people, who have lost everything, might greet him ...

Iran=Backed Militants Among 20 Killed in Israel Strikes on Syria

A war monitor said Israeli strikes in and around Damascus on Thursday killed 20 people including Palestinian militants and Iran-backed fighters, as attacks intensify during the Lebanon war. Israel has ramped up strikes on Syria recently, including in areas near the Lebanese border mainly targeting bastions of Hezbollah. Israel has been at war ...