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.
Syria
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.
Netanyahu to meet Pence, Pompeo at Polish Middle East summit
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet US Vice President Mike Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a Middle East conference in Warsaw later this week.
US-backed fighters close in on last IS-held village in Syria
A spokesman for U.S.-backed Syrian forces says they have captured 41 positions held by Islamic State group militants and destroyed their fortifications in the last tiny pocket they hold in eastern Syria.
Israel said to find new Iranian precision missile factory in northwest Syria
Israel has discovered a new ambitious precision missile factory being constructed by Iran in Syria together with the Syrian government and Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, after Israel bombed and destroyed a previous one, an Israeli TV network reported Thursday evening.
Trump predicts all IS territory will be cleared next week
US President Donald Trump predicted Wednesday that the Islamic State group will have lost by next week all the territory it once controlled in Iraq and Syria.
Russian-made S-300 missile defense system active in Syria
The launchers of Russian-made S-300 missile defense systems deployed to Syria have been erected, new satellite images released on Tuesday showed.
Iran to Israel: Further Syria strikes will be met with ‘firm’ response
Iran warned Israel on Tuesday of a ‘firm and appropriate’ response if it continued attacking targets in Syria, where Tehran has backed President Bashar Assad and his forces in their nearly eight-year war against rebels and militants.
Trump: ‘Great nations do not fight endless wars’
President Trump gave an emphatic defense of his intention to conclude ‘endless wars,’ one day after the Senate issued a warning against a ‘precipitous withdrawal’ from Syria and Afghanistan.
Netanyahu to meet with Putin to discuss Iran, Syria
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday he plans to travel to Russia later this month to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin, Erdogan, Rohani Set For Sochi Summit On Syria
The leaders of Russia, Iran, and Turkey are scheduled to meet in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on February 14 to discuss the situation in Syria, according to Turkish and Russian state media.
EU hails system to trade with Iran despite sanctions, but warns it over missiles
The EU warned Tehran over its ballistic missile program and interference in the Syria conflict Monday, while welcoming a new mechanism to trade with Iran while bypassing US sanctions.