Final IS defeat looms as thousands leave last area in Syria
A spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian forces fighting the Islamic State group says thousands of people, including militants, have left the last area held by the extremists in Syria.
Syria
Netanyahu: Russia shares goal of removing all foreign troops from Syria
Russia and Israel share the goal of removing all foreign troops from Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at the weekly cabinet meeting.
Top U.S., Russian Generals To Meet In Vienna To Discuss Syria, Other Key Issues
The top U.S. and Russian generals are set to meet to discuss the situation in Syria, where the two countries, along with Iran and Turkey, have been militarily involved in the Middle East country’s eight-year civil war.
Trump: Islamic State in Syria near 100 percent defeated
President Trump acknowledged Saturday a small contingent of U.S. troops will remain in Syria despite announcing last year his controversial decision to withdraw all American forces from the country.
Netanyahu After Kremlin Meeting: Putin ‘Showed an Understanding of Israel’s Security Needs’
Following their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ‘showed an understanding of Israel’s security needs’ regarding Iran’s presence in Syria.
Netanyahu in Moscow tells Putin Israel will continue hitting Iran in Syria
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Israel will continue to take action against Iran in Syria, in the first significant meeting between the two since a major spat developed over a downed spy plane last year.
Assad meets Khamenei in first Iran visit since Syrian war began
Syrian President Bashar al Assad made his first public visit to his closest regional ally Iran since the start of Syria’s war in 2011, meeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Monday and championing their alliance, state media reported.
Iran: Despite Israel’s efforts, ‘we’ve achieved over 90% of objectives in Syria’
A senior Iranian defense official boasted Saturday that Iran has achieved the vast majority of its objectives in Syria since the start of that country’s civil war, and dismissed the efficacy of Israeli efforts to counter the Islamic Republic’s military presence there.
Netanyahu, Putin to meet in Moscow next Wednesday after postponement
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next Wednesday, his office said Thursday.
Trump, Erdogan hold phone call ahead of US-Turkey military meeting
President Trump on Thursday spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about strategy in Syria ahead of a meeting between the top military leaders from each country.
White House says 200 US troops to stay in Syria
Washington said on Thursday that it planned to leave some US forces behind in Syria, even after the bulk of American troops left the country.
Islamic State closer to defeat in last Syrian enclave
Islamic State appeared closer to defeat in its last enclave in eastern Syria on Wednesday, as a civilian convoy left the besieged area where U.S.-backed forces estimate a few hundred jihadists are still holed up.
Iran says it cannot rule out possibility of war with Israel
Iran’s foreign minister accused Israel of ‘adventurism,’ with its campaign of airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria and said he could not rule out the possibility that they could lead to a war between the Mideast arch foes.
Turkey confirms plans to buy Russian missile system despite U.S. complaints
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is determined to buy and field a Russian-made missile-defense system, despite efforts by the White House to head off the deal.
IS ‘caliphate’ on brink of defeat in Syria as Trump urges Europe to do more
U.S.-backed fighters in Syria are poised to capture Islamic State’s last, tiny enclave on the Euphrates, the battle commander said on Saturday, bringing its self-declared caliphate to the brink of total defeat as U.S. President Donald Trump spoke of ‘100 percent victory’.
Venezuela unveils anti-US coalition at United Nations
It was almost a who’s who of America’s foes as Venezuela’s foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, was surrounded on Thursday by some of the world’s most notorious human rights violators. He was announcing the formation of a group of countries that he said would defend the United Nations Charter.
Putin says Russia, Turkey, Iran see US pullout from Syria as ‘positive step’
Moscow, Ankara and Tehran see the planned US withdrawal from Syria as a positive step, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after a summit with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts on Thursday.
Netanyahu Again Confirms Syria Strike, Contrary to Position of Top Brass
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Tuesday evening that Israel struck Hezbollah targets in Syria the previous day. The confirmation runs contrary to the position of the Israeli defense establishment, as senior defense officials refrained from addressing the incident on the Syrian Golan Heights.
IDF believes Iran pulling forces in Syria away from Israel border due to strikes
Israel’s campaign of airstrikes in Syria has driven Iran to change tack in the country, moving the bulk of its troops and bases away from the Israeli border and toward what it sees as a safer location closer to Iraq, according to Military Intelligence assessments released Wednesday.
Russian diplomat warns of Israel-Lebanon conflict, slams U.S. for ‘incitement’
Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin warned of a possible conflict between Israel and Lebanon and accused the US of inciting ‘new conflicts’ in the Middle East during an interview in the Russian news agency Sputnik on Saturday.