A Reuters investigation revealed that from 2019 to 2021, Bashar al-Assad’s regime conducted a covert operation to transfer tens of thousands of bodies from the Qutayfah mass grave near Damascus to a secret site in the Dhumair desert, aiming to erase evidence of war crimes; satellite imagery and testimonies suggest the new site included at least thirty-four trenches and spanned two kilometers, making it one of Syria’s largest mass graves (Reuters)
UN Weighs Syria Sanctions Repeal
The UN Security Council is reviewing a U.S.-proposed resolution to remove Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab from the UN sanctions list, easing restrictions on financial flows to Damascus and permitting limited arms transfers for demining and chemical weapons disposal; China has reportedly shown support, marking a rare consensus among major powers (The National)
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi confirmed he has reached a preliminary deal with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to integrate SDF forces into the central government’s Defense and Interior Ministries, building on the U.S.-brokered March 10 agreement (Al Jazeera)
Following the announcement, an SDF security delegation arrived in Damascus to discuss the deal’s implementation, as control of oil infrastructure and Turkey’s role in the talks remain uncertain (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister in Lebanon
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met Lebanese leaders in Beirut in the first high-level visit since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, as both countries work to reset relations after decades of tension; the two sides agreed to suspend the long-inactive Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council and handle bilateral issues through formal diplomatic channels while advancing talks on border demarcation, detainees, and refugee returns (AP)
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate approved a repeal of the 2019 Caesar Act, which imposed sweeping sanctions on the former Assad regime; lawmakers cited the act’s punitive effects on post-war reconstruction, with the bill now heading to the House of Representatives before final presidential approval (New Arab)
Government and SDF Reach Truce in Part of Aleppo Following Armed Clashes
Each side blamed the other for the fighting that cast doubt on a U.S.-brokered March deal to integrate the SDF into Syrian state institutions (Reuters)
The United States partnered with the SDF to fight the Islamic State group during Syria’s civil war, but is currently withdrawing its forces (Al Arabiya)
Results of Syria’s First Parliamentary Election Since Fall of Bashar al-Assad
The election determined about half of Syria’s new legislature; interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is due to appoint some remaining members, while others will be chosen in future elections that were delayed due to logistical challenges (Reuters)
Many Syrians remain displaced after more than thirteen years of war (Al Jazeera)
Seats largely went to men from the Sunni Muslim majority, with few women or religious minorities elected; elections were delayed in Kurdish-held territory in northeast Syria, where militia fighters clashed with government forces in recent days (NYT)
Meanwhile, U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack and CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper met Syrian Democratic Forces chief Mazloum Abdi as friction grows between the Kurdish-led group and Damascus; talks focused on political integration and the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (Al Arabiya)
Syria Holds First Parliamentary Elections Since Fall of Bashar al-Assad
A limited group of electoral college members from across the country voted for representatives that will account for two-thirds of the legislature, while the interim government will directly appoint the remaining third (AP)
Areas not controlled by the government did not participate in the vote, nor did some minority groups; many Syrians remain displaced and lack identity documents after years of civil war (NYT)
Trump Extends Syria State of Emergency
President Donald Trump extended the national emergency on Syria for another year under Executive Order 13894, citing the ongoing threat to U.S. national security; the order, which was further expanded in subsequent executive orders, seeks to address ongoing threats from the self-proclaimed Islamic State and achieve accountability for abuses linked to the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad (U.S. Federal Register)
Erdoğan Backs Centralized Syrian State
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that Ankara will not permit Syria’s territorial breakup or the emergence of a Kurdish-led entity if ongoing diplomacy to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into Damascus’s state apparatus fails (Reuters)
Meanwhile, local leaders in Sweida have formed a de facto administration and “National Guard” militia, with some calling for secession, in response to the attacks against the Druze community last summer; Druze officials also remain in contact with counterparts in Israel, as the community continues pushing for closer ties with the state (AP)
Israel-Syria Security Talks Stall Over Aid Corridor Demand
Israel revived a rejected proposal to open a “humanitarian corridor” to Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province, prompting Damascus to halt U.S.-brokered negotiations on a broader de-escalation pact meant to end Israeli strikes and demilitarize southern Syria, sources tell Reuters (Reuters)
Trump Promises “Major Announcement” on Syria
U.S. President Donald Trump made the statement at the White House but provided no further details, noting that he had previously eased sanctions to give the country “room to breathe” (Reuters)
Syrian President Presses United States to Repeal Sanctions
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in New York for the UN General Assembly, urged Washington to formally repeal the Caesar Act sanctions, arguing they unfairly target Syrians; Al-Sharaa met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss sanctions relief, counterterrorism cooperation, missing Americans, and Israel-Syria relations (Al Jazeera)
U.S. and Israel Report Progress in Syria Talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers that talks with Syria had advanced toward a potential security agreement, while a senior U.S. official said the deal is 99 percent complete; the official suggested an announcement may occur within two weeks (Times of Israel)
Meanwhile, Syria reported it will hold its first parliamentary elections since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster on October 5, with a third of the 210 seats appointed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the rest chosen by local committees; the new assembly is tasked with approving reforms and treaties, though critics warn the system excludes marginalized communities (Al Jazeera)
Joint Security Operation Kills Islamic State Leader in Syria
The Iraqi Counterterrorism Service announced that a joint operation with the U.S.-led international coalition killed a commander of the self-proclaimed Islamic State accused of leading multiple attacks in foreign countries, including the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon (Reuters)
Syria’s Foreign Minister Visits Washington in First Official Trip in Twenty-Five Years
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrived in Washington on Thursday for talks with U.S. officials, marking the first official visit by a Damascus official in twenty-five years (AP)
Meanwhile, UN Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen announced he will step down after more than six years of failed mediation efforts and continued turmoil (Reuters)
Syria’s President Says Security Talks With Israel Could Yield Results Soon
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said negotiations with Israel on a security pact could produce results “in the coming days,” although he stressed any finalized agreement must end Israeli strikes and respect Syrian sovereignty (Al Jazeera)
Syria Announces Druze Security Deal With Jordan and United States
Damascus announced a roadmap for stabilizing the Druze-majority As-Suwayda province that includes U.S.-brokered security understandings with Israel; Jordan is supporting the effort (AP)
Syria Confirms Talks With Israel on Restoring 1974 Disengagement Agreement
President Ahmed al-Sharaa said negotiations are underway to reinstate the security terms established after the 1973 war, while Damascus calls for UNDOF forces to return to the disengagement zone amid outreach to the United States, Russia, and regional powers (Jerusalem Post)
Syria’s Oil Exports
Syria exported crude oil from the Tartus terminal on its western coast today for the first time in fourteen years (Anadolu Agency)
Before its civil war started in 2011, oil accounted for around half of Syria’s exports (Euronews)
A Syrian official did not say where the oil came from; much of the country’s oil lies in areas controlled by Kurdish authorities (Reuters)
Syria-Israel Talks
Officials from the two countries met in Paris this week for the first time since Syria’s interim government took power last December; the United States mediated the talks, which focused on de-escalating tensions that have flared since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (NYT)
Israel launched air strikes on Damascus last month after sectarian violence—which ultimately killed more than 1,600 people—erupted in Syria’s Sweida region, saying it was acting on behalf of Syria’s Druze minority (BBC)
UN Report: Evidence of War Crimes in Syria’s Coastal and Western Central Regions
A UN report about a spate of violence in coastal and western central Syria this year found that both government forces and other armed groups likely committed war crimes, although there was no evidence that Syria’s central government directed its forces to carry out killings (UN)
The report was the most detailed public account yet of the incidents, in which government forces responded to an ambush by fighters loyal to the ousted President Bashar al-Assad (NYT)
Turkey, Syria Sign Military Training Deal
In Ankara, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Syria’s Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra signed a memorandum of understanding on “Joint Training and Advisory Cooperation” (AP)
Additionally, in a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of undermining the new Syrian government’s efforts to establish itself (AP)
U.S. Brokering Deal for Humanitarian Corridor to Sweida
According to a report by Axios, the Trump administration is working to broker a deal between Israel and Syria that would establish a humanitarian corridor from Israel to Sweida to deliver aid to the Druze community (Axios)
The details of the deal will be determined in a meeting with U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and Syrian Foreign Affairs Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Paris next week (Haaretz)
Turkish Investment in Syria
Turkey plans to fund industrial zones in Syria that would group small and medium-sized businesses to aid the country’s economic recovery; trade between the countries during the first part of 2025 is on track to surpass the total trade of last year, before the fall of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December (Bloomberg)
Syrian Democratic Forces Fighting Against Government Forces in Aleppo
The fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and government troops contradicts a March agreement that aimed to integrate them into the country’s military; the SDF accused the government of initiating the violence by carrying out attacks on four of its bases in Dayr Hafir (Reuters)
Fighting in Sweida Restarts
In Druze-majority Sweida, clashes between Druze and Syrian security forces erupted near Tal Hadid and Thaala, killing three Syrian security personnel and one Druze militia member and causing an unconfirmed number of injuries; shells and heavy weapons were used in bombardments (France24)