Internal Security Forces affiliated with Syria’s Interior Ministry, working with the General Intelligence Directorate, carried out what the ministry described as a well coordinated security operation in Daraya, southwest of Damascus, on Sunday, 21 December, targeting an Islamic State group site. The operation led to the arrest of the cell …

After negotiations between US, Ukrainian, and European representatives on a peace plan for the Russian-Ukrainian war concluded in Berlin, Vladimir Putin reiterated that his demands remain unchanged. Putin continues to insist that he wants all of Donbas, attempting to portray the situation as if he will eventually seize the territory …

The Druze community in Syria now faces a severe trial that threatens its very existence and destiny. This ordeal has arisen from the convergence of three intertwined and contradictory factors. The first is the emergence of a new authority in Damascus, one with a jihadist-Salafi background that embraces narrow sectarian …

Beneath the surface of unity, Gulf royals are locked in a quiet contest for dominance – testing the limits of US oversight and reshaping alliances on their own terms. Amid rising friction between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the balance of power in southern Yemen, Qatari Emir Tamim bin …

Europe’s belated recognition of Palestinian statehood is a naked geopolitical maneuver – part of a wider normalization push that sidelines Palestinian liberation, while repackaging defeat as diplomatic progress. Are we witnessing the birth of a state? Or the declaration of its defeat? Since its inception in 1948, Israel has never …

Taliban have absorbed former fighters from various terrorist groups into their local security forces to draw on their combat experience, a United Nations sanctions monitoring report says, warning that the practice raises concerns about infiltration and ideological alignment within their ranks. In its latest comprehensive report covering developments through Dec. …

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said talks with the United States over integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian army are still ongoing, stressing that integration is inevitable. Answering journalists’ questions on Saturday, 20 December 2025, during the ministry’s annual end of year activities evaluation meeting, Guler said …

JERUSALEM—Israel’s government is privately pressing President Donald Trump’s administration to set a deadline for international troops to disarm Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to three Israeli officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Israeli leaders expect the International Stabilization Force to begin deploying to Gaza early next year as …

Israel’s government is privately pressing President Donald Trump’s administration to set a deadline for international troops to disarm Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to three Israeli officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Israeli leaders expect the International Stabilization Force to begin deploying to Gaza early next year as …

The recent Islamic State attacks in Syria and Australia were less about a resurgence of IS, and more a reflection of a longstanding reality — the group has not been defeated and will remain a major counterterrorism challenge for the foreseeable future. Looking ahead to 2026, the Sahel will remain …