Syria’s Assad Visits Russian Airbase
President Bashar al-Assad toured a Russian airbase in western Syria on Tuesday in his first official visit to Moscow's main base of operations in an intervention that has shored up his regime....
Tag: Bashar al-Assad
Former Syrian Defence Minister Dies In Paris
Syria's former defence minister Mustafa Tlass, a close friend of President Bashar al-Assad's father and predecessor Hafez, died in Paris on Tuesday, his son Firas said. He was 85. Tlass, whose other...
Dozens Dead In US-Led Strikes On Jihadist-Run Syrian Prison
US-led coalition air strikes killed nearly 60 people at a Syrian prison run by the Islamic State group, a monitor said Tuesday, as Washington insisted the jihadists remain its only target. The...
US Wants To Steer Clear of Syrian Civil War
The United States will not be drawn into Syria's civil war, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said, despite an increasingly complicated battle space that has seen US warplanes down pro-regime...
US Warns Syria Over ‘potential’ Plan For Chemical Attack
The US says it has identified “potential preparations” for another chemical attack in Syria, and issued a stark warning to the Syrian government. The White House said the activities were similar...
US Says Assad May Be Preparing Chemical Attack, Warns ‘heavy Price’
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may be preparing a chemical weapons attack that would result in the "mass murder" of civilians, the White House said Monday, warning the regime would pay a "heavy...
Assad Leads Prayers In Rare Appearance Outside Damascus
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led Eid al-Fitr prayers in the central city of Hama on Sunday, appearing in public outside the capital for the first time in a year. Assad's office published images...
Hezbollah Says ‘thousands’ of Fighters To Respond If Israel Attacks
The head of Lebanese movement Hezbollah on Friday warned Israel against attacking Lebanon or Syria, saying "hundreds of thousands" of Arab and Muslim fighters would be ready to strike back. "The...
Arab States Send Qatar Steep Demands
Four Arab states have sent Qatar a list of 13 demands it must meet if it wants them to lift their sanctions. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are asking the Gulf state to...
Multinational Forces Could Patrol Syria ‘de-Escalation Zones’
Turkey on Thursday said multinational forces from differing sides in the Syria conflict could be deployed to ensure peace in so-called "de-escalation" zones aimed at ending the civil war. Iran,...
Macron Unveils France’s New Realpolitik For Syria
Recalibrating France's long-held policy of insisting that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad must step down, President Emmanuel Macron has opted for realpolitik by making the fight against terror the top...
Removing Assad No Longer Priority In Syria
France no longer sees the departure of President Bashar al-Assad as a priority in the Syrian conflict, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, making the policy official for the first time. The new...
The Syria Hotline For US and Russian Militaries
Russia has said it is suspending a special hotline to communicate with the US-led coalition about operations in Syria, raising the risk of a military mishap. Here is a quick look at the so-called...
Fighters From Syria’s Raqa Battle To Oust IS From Their Hometown
Khalil al-Hussein fled the Islamic State group's Syrian stronghold Raqa 18 months ago, but now he is back and fighting to help oust the jihadists from his hometown. The 25-year-old is one of several...
Iran Protests Against Tillerson ‘transition’ Remarks
Iran has called in the Swiss charge d'affaires, who looks after US interests, to protest against comments by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson backing "peaceful transition" in the Islamic republic....
We Retain the Right To Self Defense
The White House hit back at Russia on Monday after the Kremlin warned it would track US-led coalition aircraft in Syria as potential 'targets' and halted an incident-prevention hotline with...
US Working To Relaunch Military Hotline With Russia
The United States is seeking to re-establish a military hotline with Russia that has been vital in protecting both sides' forces operating in Syria, the top US general said Monday. "We will work...
Saudi-Qatar Crisis Puts Syria Rebels In Tricky Position
A diplomatic crisis pitting Saudi Arabia against Qatar has put Syrian rebels in a difficult position, analysts say, after rivalries between Gulf backers had already weakened the opposition. Both...
UN Decries ‘staggering Loss of Civilian Life’ In Raqa
United Nations war crimes investigators expressed alarm Wednesday at the "staggering" number of civilian deaths as US-backed forces battle to oust the Islamic State group from its Syrian stronghold...
UN Decries ‘staggering Loss of Civilian Life’ In Raqa
United Nations war crimes investigators expressed alarm Wednesday at the "staggering" number of civilian deaths as US-backed forces battle to oust the Islamic State group from its Syrian stronghold...