Exploring the range of foreign powers invested and involved in the Syrian conflict, from Russia and Iran to the United States and Turkey. https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/diplomacy/rss en Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Tue, 08 May 2018 09:40:00 +0000 Mona Alami https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/05/08/iran-israel-tensions-unlikely-to-evolve-into-conventional-warfare https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/05/08/iran-israel-tensions-unlikely-to-evolve-into-conventional-warfare Tehran has prioritized lower cost, disruptive and asymmetric warfare since at least the Iran-Iraq war, and tensions with Israel over its buildup in Syria are unlikely to change that, writes Levant researcher and journalist Mona Alami. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Fri, 04 May 2018 07:10:00 +0000 Yossi Melman https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/05/04/a-war-between-iran-and-israel-is-not-on-the-horizon https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/05/04/a-war-between-iran-and-israel-is-not-on-the-horizon A look at the intentions and capabilities of Israel and Iran suggest that the two states are looking to avoid a conflict, rather than spark one, writes Israeli security and intelligence commentator Yossi Melman. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:20:00 +0000 Patrick Hilsman https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/27/russian-and-israeli-military-relations-remain-durable-despite-strain https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/27/russian-and-israeli-military-relations-remain-durable-despite-strain The latest Israeli airstrike on the T4 airbase and the possibility of Russia providing Damascus with an S-300 missile system have strained relations between Moscow and Tel Aviv. But these developments are unlikely to break down this strategic partnership or spark further escalation. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Tue, 24 Apr 2018 07:30:00 +0000 Samer Abboud https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/24/why-an-arab-stabilization-force-would-destabilize-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/24/why-an-arab-stabilization-force-would-destabilize-syria The deployment of an Arab force in Syria, at a time when most regional states have started to reduce their involvement, would risk direct confrontation between intervening powers, writes Syria researcher and professor Samer Abboud. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Mon, 23 Apr 2018 10:10:00 +0000 Hashem Osseiran, Alessandria Masi, Kim Bode https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/23/deeply-talks-making-sense-of-the-syria-strike https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/23/deeply-talks-making-sense-of-the-syria-strike Syria Deeply’s editors weigh in on this month’s missile strike by the U.S., the U.K. and France in the latest installment of SD’s Deeply Talks series. Civil Society Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Mon, 16 Apr 2018 11:00:00 +0000 Alaa https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/16/what-red-lines-and-foreign-intervention-look-like-for-syrian-civilians https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/16/what-red-lines-and-foreign-intervention-look-like-for-syrian-civilians Alaa, a civil society worker who has been in Damascus since the start of the conflict, weighs in on the impact and the perception of civilians on the ground have of U.S. and Russian foreign intervention in Syria. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Mon, 16 Apr 2018 07:30:00 +0000 Youmna al-Dimashqi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/16/for-many-syrians-missile-strikes-will-have-little-impact https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/16/for-many-syrians-missile-strikes-will-have-little-impact Some Syrians were expecting larger strikes on Syria in response to last week’s suspected chemical weapons attack. Others were hoping for no response at all. Many, however, said the strikes would have little impact on the balance of power on the ground. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Sat, 14 Apr 2018 14:30:00 +0000 Hashem Osseiran, Alessandria Masi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/14/expert-views-impact-of-the-syrian-missile-strike https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/14/expert-views-impact-of-the-syrian-missile-strike Saturday’s missile strike on Syria may temporarily deter the Syrian government from using chemical weapons but it will not alter the trajectory of the seven-year-long war, experts from Syria Deeply’s community said. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Sat, 14 Apr 2018 13:30:00 +0000 Hashem Osseiran https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/14/strike-in-syria-what-we-know https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/14/strike-in-syria-what-we-know Here is what we know so far about the largest intervention by western powers against the Syrian government since the start of the conflict. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Displacement Fri, 13 Apr 2018 07:10:00 +0000 Zouhir Al-Shimale, Areeb Ullah https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/13/too-little-too-late-doumas-displaced-on-possible-u-s-action https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/13/too-little-too-late-doumas-displaced-on-possible-u-s-action Eastern Ghouta residents welcome possible western action against the Assad government but are unsure if it will bring about long-term benefits. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Wed, 11 Apr 2018 10:20:00 +0000 Ibrahim al-Marashi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/11/trump-rhetoric-on-syria-is-a-likely-distraction-from-washington-woes https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/04/11/trump-rhetoric-on-syria-is-a-likely-distraction-from-washington-woes Last year Trump attacked Syria at a time when he was facing a domestic crisis. The U.S. president is in a similar situation now, writes Associate Professor of Middle East History Ibrahim al-Marashi. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Mon, 09 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000 Areeb Ullah https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/09/analysis-strike-on-syrian-base-likely-unrelated-to-alleged-douma-gas-attack https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/04/09/analysis-strike-on-syrian-base-likely-unrelated-to-alleged-douma-gas-attack The motives behind a suspected Israeli missile attack on a Syrian airbase have more to do with containing Iran than punishing the Syrian government for using chemical weapons, writes journalist Areeb Ullah. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Displacement Wed, 28 Mar 2018 12:30:00 +0000 Marika Sosnowski https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/28/besiege-bombard-retake-reconciliation-agreements-in-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/28/besiege-bombard-retake-reconciliation-agreements-in-syria So-called reconciliation deals have become a coercive tool for the Syrian government to reclaim areas that have fallen outside its control, writes lawyer and researcher Marika Sosnowski. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Fri, 23 Mar 2018 10:40:00 +0000 Suraj Sharma https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/23/analysis-despite-gains-turkey-could-still-stumble-in-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/03/23/analysis-despite-gains-turkey-could-still-stumble-in-syria The capture of the Kurdish enclave of Afrin marked a significant victory for Turkey in Syria. But a major expansion of Ankara’s offensive to other Kurdish enclaves could squander recent gains, writes journalist Suraj Sharma for Middle East Eye. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights Thu, 22 Mar 2018 11:00:00 +0000 Mohammed Alaa Ghanem https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/22/when-cease-fires-become-part-of-military-strategies-in-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/22/when-cease-fires-become-part-of-military-strategies-in-syria Instead of trumpeting each new cease-fire as a step toward peace, the international community needs to understand how integral they are to the Syrian regime’s military strategy, writes Syrian academic Mohammed Alaa Ghanem. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights Wed, 21 Mar 2018 13:40:00 +0000 Alessandria Masi, Hashem Osseiran, Kim Bode https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/21/expert-views-how-seven-years-of-war-in-syria-changed-modern-conflict https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/21/expert-views-how-seven-years-of-war-in-syria-changed-modern-conflict As the war in Syria marked its seventh anniversary this month, Syria Deeply’s expert community weighed in on what the conflict can teach us about 21st-century wars. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights Solutions Fri, 16 Mar 2018 09:10:00 +0000 Peter Ford https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/16/analysis-what-ghouta-tells-us-about-the-worlds-ability-to-protect-civilians https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/16/analysis-what-ghouta-tells-us-about-the-worlds-ability-to-protect-civilians Not long ago the humanitarian concept of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ had currency. But this is no longer the case in Syria, where a new harsh reality is playing out in eastern Ghouta, writes journalist Peter Ford. Civil Society Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights Thu, 15 Mar 2018 14:30:00 +0000 Laurie Lee https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/15/what-are-you-doing-while-ghouta-burns https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/03/15/what-are-you-doing-while-ghouta-burns Seven years of war in Syria have taught us that the international community no longer has any shame. But the upcoming Syria meeting in Brussels presents four opportunities to change that, writes Laurie Lee, CEO of CARE International UK. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Fri, 16 Feb 2018 11:10:00 +0000 Samer Abboud https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/02/16/in-syrias-tangled-conflict-a-kind-of-regional-war-has-already-begun https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/02/16/in-syrias-tangled-conflict-a-kind-of-regional-war-has-already-begun A general state of war exists between antagonistic, intervening states in Syria, even if it remains undeclared and unacknowledged. However, the form this war will take, and the conditions for escalation, remain unclear, writes Syria researcher and professor Samer Abboud. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Mon, 12 Feb 2018 13:10:00 +0000 Yossi Melman https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/12/analysis-iran-and-israel-eye-containment-in-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/12/analysis-iran-and-israel-eye-containment-in-syria The downing of an Israeli warplane on Saturday threatened to escalate tensions between Israel and Iran. But now the two adversaries are actively trying to avoid a full blown confrontation, writes Israeli security and intelligence commentator Yossi Melman. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Mon, 12 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000 Anchal Vohra https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/12/analysis-in-south-syria-all-roads-lead-back-to-the-arab-israeli-conflict https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/12/analysis-in-south-syria-all-roads-lead-back-to-the-arab-israeli-conflict The recent uptick in clashes between Israel, Iran and Syria risks circling the conflict back to decades-old hostilities between Damascus and Tel Aviv in battles over the Golan Heights. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Wed, 07 Feb 2018 14:00:00 +0000 Neil Hauer https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/07/analysis-russias-failure-at-sochi-means-more-war-for-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/07/analysis-russias-failure-at-sochi-means-more-war-for-syria Having failed to achieve tangible progress at the Syrian Congress of National Dialogue in Sochi, Moscow will instead be forced to rely on military means to achieve its goals in Syria, according to journalist and analyst Neil Hauer. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Tue, 06 Feb 2018 14:00:00 +0000 Hashem Osseiran https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/06/how-de-escalation-zones-in-syria-became-a-war-management-strategy https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/02/06/how-de-escalation-zones-in-syria-became-a-war-management-strategy Nine months into the de-escalation agreement, the deal has helped the Syrian government seize additional territory and widen its control rather than reduce violence in the designated areas, experts said. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Thu, 01 Feb 2018 12:40:00 +0000 Samer Abboud https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/02/01/understanding-americas-endgame-in-syria https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/02/01/understanding-americas-endgame-in-syria Washington’s recently outlined policy for Syria is unlikely to be able to change the battlefield, protect its allies, or alter the policies of regional states, says Syria researcher and professor Samer Abboud. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Tue, 30 Jan 2018 12:30:00 +0000 Hashem Osseiran https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/30/how-russia-benefits-from-turkeys-afrin-operation https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/30/how-russia-benefits-from-turkeys-afrin-operation Turkey’s operation in Afrin has complicated Washington’s relations with two of its allies in Syria – the Kurds and Turkey – leaving Russia more room to act as arbiter between Ankara and Syrian Kurdish groups, according to Jonas Parello-Plesner of the Hudson Institute. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Tue, 23 Jan 2018 11:30:00 +0000 Ömer Özkizilcik https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/23/analysis-why-turkey-wants-a-secure-zone-in-afrin https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/23/analysis-why-turkey-wants-a-secure-zone-in-afrin Turkey’s operation on the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in Syria aims to halt YPG expansion near Turkey’s border, facilitate refugee returns and empower Ankara-backed FSA forces, writes analyst Ömer Özkizilcik. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Solutions War Economy Sun, 21 Jan 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Kim Bode, Alessandria Masi, Hashem Osseiran https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/21/deeply-talks-syria-outlook-2018 https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/21/deeply-talks-syria-outlook-2018 In the first Deeply Talks of 2018, Syria Deeply talks with Faysal Itani of the Atlantic Council about the state of diplomatic negotiations, Syria’s economy and the escalation of violence across the country. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Thu, 18 Jan 2018 14:10:00 +0000 Lars Hauch https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/18/how-turkeys-potential-afrin-push-measures-up-against-international-law https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/community/2018/01/18/how-turkeys-potential-afrin-push-measures-up-against-international-law Turkey recently announced plans to possibly launch an operation on a Kurdish-held enclave in northern Syria. Jasper Finke, a lecturer in international law, assesses whether there is a legal justification for Ankara’s potential operation. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Government & Pro-Government Forces Human Rights Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces Thu, 18 Jan 2018 09:00:00 +0000 Alessandria Masi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/18/syria-2018-the-major-issues-for-the-year-ahead https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/18/syria-2018-the-major-issues-for-the-year-ahead This year, Syria Deeply will be keeping a close eye on the various wars being waged in Syria and the scale of foreign involvement in each, as well as war crimes and accountability, returns and displacement, and reconstruction and reconciliation across the country. Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs Human Rights ISIS War Economy Tue, 02 Jan 2018 07:24:55 +0000 Alessandria Masi https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/02/must-read-coverage-on-syria-from-2017 https://www.newsdeeply.com/syria/articles/2018/01/02/must-read-coverage-on-syria-from-2017 We’ve compiled our best coverage of the biggest issues in Syria this year – from safe zones and increasing foreign involvement to new avenues for pursuing justice, and the impact of Syria’s war economy.