Middle Orient

President-elect Donald Trump said Russia and Iran are in a “weakened state” and called on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to end the nearly three-year war in Ukraine. Trump made the comments in a post on Truth Social on December 8 as Syrian rebels captured Damascus, ending the half-century rule of …

President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military should stay out of the escalating conflict in Syria as a shock opposition offensive closes in on the capital, declaring in a social media post, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.” With world leaders watching the rapid rebel advance against Syria’s Russian- …

U.S. Air Force jets including B-52s and F-15 fighter jets struck 75 Islamic State targets Sunday in central Syria on the day the regime of Bashar al-Assad collapsed, the U.S. Central Command said. A CENTCOM statement said the strikes against ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps “were conducted as part of …

Latest Developments • Assad Ousted as Rebels Take Damascus: In the culmination of a 10-day sweep of Syria, Syrian rebels entered Damascus leading to the December 8 ouster of President Bashar al-Assad and the end of more than half-a-century of the Assad family’s brutal rule. “This is a historic day …

Latest Developments • Syrian Rebels Capture Damascus, Declaring Assad Regime Fallen: Bashar al-Assad resigned his presidency and fled from Syria early on December 8, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry. Syrian rebels declared victory in Damascus following a lightning-quick offensive led by Islamist group and U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir …

Former Syrian President Basher al-Assad and his family arrived in Moscow following the Kremlin’s offer of asylum, Tass reported on December 8. Al-Assad and his family departed by private jet from Damascus and arrived in Abu Dhabi on late December 7, as rebels were closing in on Damascus. It is …

The army command issued the statement early on Sunday following reports of the terrorists’ entrance in Damascus and Assad’s departure from the city. Reuters, citing two army officers, said that Assad had earlier on Sunday flown out of Damascus for an unknown destination before the groups reached the city. Meanwhile, …

Today’s news round on Syria highlights the rapid escalation of conflict and its far-reaching implications. Rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Turkish-backed factions, have seized Aleppo in a major offensive, marking the most significant challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years. The fighting has spread to key …

As the opposition finds itself only 26 kilometres south of Damascus, diplomatic sources told Syria TV that Arab and Gulf states have offered Assad an opportunity to leave the country. The military and political pressures on Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad are escalating, amid declining public support from his traditional …

The surprise offensive by Jihadist-led rebels into Aleppo reignited the Syrian civil war after four years of relative quiet and put the United States in an unenviable position. Hayat Tahrir al Sham, recognized as a terrorist group by the United States, and allied militias have continued their offensive, battling the …