Just last year, President Bashar al-Assad seemed on the brink of crowning military victories by easing his diplomatic isolation and recovering more of Syria without a bullet being fired. Not only had US-allied Kurds invited government forces back to the northeast, but businessmen from the...

The Caesar Civilian Protection Act comes into force this Wednesday 17 June, bringing an outlook for Bashar al-Assad's regime that hasn't appeared so bleak since the rapid rebel gains of 2015.  The Caesar Act was passed by the US Senate in 2019, with the stated goal of more targeted and...

The toughest US sanctions yet on Syria take effect this week, increasing the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad as he grapples with a deepening economic crisis after a decade of war. Washington says sanctions will help hold Assad and his backers to account for war crimes in a conflict...

Long-term stability in Syria almost seems quixotic, more likely measured in decades than years. It will take time to assess the extent to which Russia has “won” in Syria. Absent a peaceful end to the conflict and an infusion of large-scale Western aid, downside risks for Russia could take...