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Russia Pulling back but Not Out of Syria, Sources Say

A Russian soldier is seen near the Nasib border crossing with Jordan in Deraa, Syria July 7, 2018. REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki
A Russian soldier is seen near the Nasib border crossing with Jordan in Deraa, Syria July 7, 2018. REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki
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Russia Pulling back but Not Out of Syria, Sources Say

A Russian soldier is seen near the Nasib border crossing with Jordan in Deraa, Syria July 7, 2018. REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki
A Russian soldier is seen near the Nasib border crossing with Jordan in Deraa, Syria July 7, 2018. REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki

Russia is pulling back its military from the front lines in northern Syria and from posts in the Alawite Mountains but is not leaving its two main bases in the country after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, four Syrian officials told Reuters.

The ousting of Assad, who along with his late father, former President Hafez al-Assad, had forged a close alliance with Moscow, has thrown the future of Russia's bases - the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the Tartous naval facility - into question.

Satellite footage from Friday shows what appeared to be at least two Antonov AN-124s, among the world's largest cargo planes, at the Hmeimim base with their nose cones open, apparently preparing to load up.

At least one cargo plane flew out on Saturday for Libya, a Syrian security official stationed outside the facility said.

Syrian military and security sources in contact with the Russians told Reuters that Moscow was pulling back its forces from the front lines and withdrawing some heavy equipment and senior Syrian officers.

But the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Russia was not pulling out of its two main bases and currently had no intention of doing so.

Some equipment is being shipped back to Moscow as are very senior officers from Assad's military but the aim at this stage is to regroup and redeploy as dictated by developments on the ground, a senior Syrian army officer in touch with the Russian military told Reuters.

A senior opposition official close to the new interim administration told Reuters the issue of the Russian military presence in Syria and past agreements between the Assad government and Moscow were not under discussion.

"It is a matter for future talks and the Syrian people will have the final say," said the official, adding that Moscow had set up communication channels.

"Our forces are also now in close vicinity of the Russian bases in Latakia," he added without elaborating.

The Kremlin has said Russia is in discussions with the new rulers of Syria over the bases. Russia's defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Reuters reporting.

A Russian source who spoke on condition of anonymity said discussions with the new rulers of Syria were ongoing and Russia was not withdrawing from its bases.

Reuters was unable to immediately ascertain how Syrian opposition leader Ahmad al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani - saw the long-term future of the Russian bases.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose 2015 intervention in the Syrian civil war helped prop up Assad when the West was calling for him to be toppled, granted Assad asylum in Russia after Moscow helped him to flee on Sunday.

BASES

Moscow has backed Syria since early in the Cold War, and had recognized its independence in 1944 as Damascus sought to throw off French colonial rule. The West long regarded Syria as a Soviet satellite.

The bases in Syria are an integral part of Russia's global military presence: the Tartous naval base is Russia's only Mediterranean repair and resupply hub, with Hmeimim a major staging post for military and mercenary activity in Africa.

Russia also has eavesdropping posts in Syria which were run alongside Syrian signals stations, according to Syrian military and Western intelligence sources.

The Tartous facility dates from 1971, and after Russia intervened in the civil war to help Assad, Moscow was in 2017 granted a free of charge 49-year lease.

Yoruk Isik, a geopolitical analyst based in Istanbul who runs the Bosphorus Observer, said that Russia was probably sending cargo planes out of Syrian via the Caucasus, and then on to the Al Khadim airbase in Libya.

On the highway linking the Hmeimim air base to the base in Tartous, a Russian convoy of infantry fighting vehicles and logistics vehicles could be seen driving toward the air base, a Reuters journalist said.

The convoy had stopped due to a malfunction on one of its vehicles, with soldiers standing by the vehicles and working to repair the issue.

"Whether it’s Russian, Iranian or the previous government who was oppressing us and denying us our rights ... we don’t want any intervention from Russia, Iran or any other foreign intervention," Ali Halloum, who is from Latakia and lives in Jablah, told Reuters.

At Hmeimim, Reuters saw Russian soldiers walking around the base as normal and jets in the hangars.

Satellite imagery taken on Dec. 9 by Planet Labs showed at least three vessels in Russia’s Mediterranean fleet - two guided missile frigates and an oiler - moored around 13 km (8 miles) northwest of Tartous. 

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Arab World

Detainee Imad Amhaz Case Highlights Hezbollah’s Maritime Activities

Detainee Imad Amhaz Case Highlights Hezbollah’s Maritime Activities
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Detainee Imad Amhaz Case Highlights Hezbollah’s Maritime Activities

Detainee Imad Amhaz Case Highlights Hezbollah’s Maritime Activities

Israel’s disclosure of a naval commando operation in the northern Lebanese town of Batroun has thrust back into focus a case that straddles security, political, and legal fault lines.

The announcement, accompanied by Israeli claims surrounding Imad Amhaz, comes at a delicate moment, coinciding with ceasefire arrangements, meetings of the monitoring mechanism committee, and ongoing efforts to resolve the files of detainees and missing persons.

The Israeli announcement and security narrative

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said Israeli forces carried out an operation around a year ago in Batroun, far from the Lebanese Israeli border, during which Imad Amhaz was transferred to Israel for interrogation.

According to the Israeli account, Amhaz is linked to Hezbollah’s secret maritime file and its coastal missile unit, received military training inside and outside Lebanon, and acquired maritime expertise related to operational missions.

Adraee said the interrogation of Amhaz enabled, according to his statement, the acquisition of information related to organized maritime activities run under a secret framework and using civilian fronts.

He said this information helped obstruct the progress of this file at what he described as a sensitive stage, adding that Iran provided support for these activities.

A broader political and security context

In an analytical reading, security and defense researcher Riad Kahwaji told Asharq Al-Awsat that the case of Imad Amhaz and the timing of its disclosure could not be separated from the broader political and security context, particularly the meeting of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism committee and the ongoing negotiations.

He said Israel was trying through this timing to justify its refusal to withdraw from five points by arguing that Hezbollah remained present and continued to conduct military activity.

Kahwaji said the Israeli messages also aimed to show that Hezbollah’s role was far greater than perceived inside Lebanon, arguing that the group was no longer merely a local organization but part of a broad regional project led by Iran.

He said the issue was not related to a trench or one or two military positions, but rather to an integrated structure that included maritime capabilities, infrastructure, and strategic preparations.

He added that Iran had invested tens of millions of dollars in this project, saying Israel was seeking to highlight the scale of military investment in a country whose population was suffering severe internal pressures.

Kahwaji said the file went beyond the area south of the Litani River, noting that the issue was not limited to that region but included the maritime dimension and other areas, particularly since Amhaz was in Batroun in northern Lebanon at the time of the operation.

He said Israel was speaking about tunnels, weapons depots, and equipment in an attempt to show a contradiction between what the Lebanese state declared regarding the disarmament track and what Israel considered a continuation of Hezbollah’s military activity and armament.

He said attempts to strip Imad Amhaz of his civilian status fell within this context, explaining that Israel had from the outset sought to present him as linked to what it called Hezbollah’s naval weapons.

He added that the Lebanese state, in contrast, said the core problem lay in Israel’s continued occupation of the five points, while Israel responded that the main reason was that Hezbollah had not stopped arming itself and that the threat remained.

The Lebanese position and legal dimension

For his part, Nabih Awada, a member of the committee representing detainees and former prisoners in Israeli jails, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the case of Imad Amhaz was, from a legal perspective, that of a civilian abducted from a Lebanese area far from the border. He said his detention did not fall under military arrest.

Awada said this also applied to other documented cases, stressing that the file was being followed up with official Lebanese authorities and with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

He said the Lebanese state was dealing with Imad Amhaz on the basis that he was a civilian and considered that the location of his detention, its circumstances, and its nature did not fall within any military engagement or combat activity. He said this description was what the state relied on in addressing the file before international bodies.

Presidential stance regarding the detainees

Awada said the full details of the file were raised during a meeting with the president of the republic, who he said was fully convinced that the priority of the current stage was the release of Lebanese detainees.

He said the president stressed the need to start at least with civilians detained after the war, given that hostilities had stopped and there was no longer any legal justification for holding them.

He said the president had acted on this basis by communicating with the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as international and US parties.

The Amhaz family’s stance

Alongside official positions, sources close to the family of Imad Amhaz told Asharq Al-Awsat they denied any knowledge of military activity attributed to him, saying Amhaz had been leading a normal civilian life and that the family had never been informed of any link between him and any military or security activity.

They said the information published did not reflect the family’s account.

Detainees and missing persons figures

On figures, Awada said the file submitted to the president included 20 Lebanese detainees whose presence in Israeli prisons had been confirmed, half of whom were arrested during the war and half afterward.

He said among those detained during the war were seven fighters and three civilians, including Imad Amhaz, who was considered a civilian.

Those detained after the ceasefire were all civilians, in addition to three people missing before the war and around 40 missing since it began.

Arab World

Baghdad Pushes for Deeper Partnership with Washington against ISIS

Iraqi security says it carried out raid in Syria, arrested ISIS leaders (Government Media)
Iraqi security says it carried out raid in Syria, arrested ISIS leaders (Government Media)
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Baghdad Pushes for Deeper Partnership with Washington against ISIS

Iraqi security says it carried out raid in Syria, arrested ISIS leaders (Government Media)
Iraqi security says it carried out raid in Syria, arrested ISIS leaders (Government Media)

An Iraqi official said security cooperation with the United States is intensifying in the fight against terrorism, following a rare joint helicopter raid by Iraqi special forces inside Syrian territory.

An Iraqi intelligence unit, coordinating with Syrian security forces and the US-led international coalition, arrested two high value targets wanted by the Iraqi judiciary in a helicopter raid in northeastern Syria, according to a statement from the Security Media Cell.

A new phase

Hussein Allawi, adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq is entering a new phase of strategic commitment to the Strategic Framework Agreement with the United States, which is moving toward broader political, economic, security and military dimensions, as well as technology transfer and infrastructure development.

He said recent operations in Syria and elsewhere reflect efforts to build a stronger partnership.

Allawi added that developing the relationship includes cooperation on building the capacities of the armed forces, sustaining counterterrorism efforts, enhancing cooperation to track and dry up financial assets, combating online propaganda by terrorist organizations including al-Qaeda and ISIS, and addressing the issue of al Hol camp.

He said both sides are serious about raising the level of security and intelligence cooperation in counterterrorism, in light of the completion of the first phase of ending the international coalition’s presence in Iraq under an agreement reached in September 2024, as well as targeting terrorist cells in Syria through cooperation between Iraq, the coalition and its member states.

The military operation came a day after the US Congress voted to repeal the authorization for the use of military force against Iraq. Iraq’s foreign ministry described the decision as historic and said it reinforces respect for sovereignty, while a government adviser said relations between the two countries have shifted from conflict to partnership.

State monopoly on arms

Politically, Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the National Wisdom Movement (Hikma) Movement, stressed that weapons should be held exclusively by the state, calling for an expedited formation of the Iraqi government.

In a speech on Friday, al-Hakim said weapons must be in the hands of the state in line with the constitution and the calls of the religious authority, so that the law stands above all by the will of Iraqis and their national political forces, not through external dictates.

In this context, Fahd al-Jabouri, a senior figure in the Hikma Movement, said the United States had raised concerns related to armed factions and individuals subject to sanctions or terrorism lists, and had conveyed these concerns clearly.

He said the Coordination Framework understood these messages and balanced them against the domestic reality, agreeing that some sovereign ministries would be assigned to figures not affiliated with any armed groups.

Al-Jabouri said dialogue is the best option and that the framework is always seeking to balance its external relations with internal requirements, correct misinformation reaching abroad, and strengthen the role of the state as the most powerful authority.

Kataib al-Imam Ali, a Shiite armed faction that recently won several seats in the new parliament, called for confining weapons to the state and strengthening the Popular Mobilization Forces.

In a statement, its secretary general Shibl al-Zaydi said ratifying the election results and the strong showing by factions aligned with the PMF placed these forces before an important national test.

He said the test lies in improving economic, security and service conditions, consolidating the authority and sovereignty of the state, and strictly confining weapons to the state in line with the constitution and the law, while reinforcing the Popular Mobilization Forces.

Diplomats and political observers say US pressure, particularly calls to limit weapons to the state, could complicate efforts to reach a settlement within the Coordination Framework over the next government lineup, as some forces remain committed to a political role for armed factions and their influence over the choice of prime minister.

Arab World

Miami Talks Aim to Bridge Gaps in Gaza Deal’s Second Phase

Displaced Palestinians gather to receive food rations at a charity kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians gather to receive food rations at a charity kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza (AFP)
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Miami Talks Aim to Bridge Gaps in Gaza Deal’s Second Phase

Displaced Palestinians gather to receive food rations at a charity kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians gather to receive food rations at a charity kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza (AFP)

Mediators are convening for fresh talks in Miami, Florida, as efforts to advance the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement remain stalled, months after the truce came into effect on Oct. 10.

The meeting, which mediators say will focus on outlining a framework for the next phase, comes amid attempts to narrow gaps over key issues, including how Israel’s withdrawal would be carried out, how stabilization forces would be deployed, and the question of Hamas’ disarmament.

An analyst said the momentum could translate into concrete steps as early as next month.

Miami is hosting a meeting between US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and senior officials from the mediating countries, Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye, aimed at pushing forward the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, a White House official told AFP on Thursday.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said during a visit to Washington on Wednesday that preparations were under way for a mediators’ meeting on Friday to discuss a framework for advancing the second phase of the Gaza agreement.

Ahead of the Miami talks, Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim said in remarks that Palestinians expected the talks to result in an agreement to halt all Israeli violations and breaches, and to compel Israel to comply with the provisions of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement.

Palestinian political analyst Ayman Al-Raqab said the Miami meeting fell within efforts to bridge gaps related to the implementation of Israel’s withdrawal, the deployment of stabilization forces and Hamas’ disarmament. If the momentum continued, he said, concrete steps could be seen next month.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington’s approach at the Miami meeting should focus on implementing the agreement rather than rebuilding Rafah in a new form or dividing the Gaza Strip.

He said the gaps in the second phase were linked to Israel’s withdrawal, the deployment of stabilization forces and Hamas’ disarmament, adding that discussions should center on practical implementation solutions, not US proposals that serve Israeli ideas.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed on Friday, during talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Cairo, the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2803 on the Gaza agreement and to operate the Rafah crossing from both directions.

Lavrov said diplomatic efforts must continue to ensure the sustainability of the Gaza ceasefire.

Abdelatty also discussed the situation with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf in Cairo on Friday, reviewing ongoing Egyptian efforts to solidify and sustain the ceasefire and to implement the requirements of the second phase.

They stressed the need for unimpeded humanitarian aid access, preparing conditions for early recovery and reconstruction, and rejecting any measures that could undermine the unity of Palestinian territory or liquidate the Palestinian cause, according to a statement by Egypt’s Foreign Ministry.

The European Council welcomed, at the conclusion of a summit of leaders from the European Union’s 27 member states in Brussels, UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which calls for the establishment of a Board of Peace and a temporary international stabilization force as part of a plan to end the conflict in Gaza.

European leaders stressed the need to fully implement the resolution and ensure lasting security stability in Gaza, reiterating the EU’s commitment to a two-state solution and international law.

Al-Raqab said Egyptian efforts were banking on achieving a breakthrough alongside Qatar and Türkiye, reaching concrete mechanisms to implement the agreement amid European support for this path.

He added that any arrangements were awaiting a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump later this month, describing it as decisive.