Ibrahim Hamidi
Interviews The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen. AFP

UN Envoy Says Syria at ‘Critical Time,’ Needs to Act

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen has lauded the Arab initiative on Damascus, stressing the importance of taking it into consideration…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London )
Features 15 February 2023, Syria, Damascus: A photo released by the official Syrian Arab news agency (SANA) on 15 February shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) speaking with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi. (SANA/dpa)

Quake Pushes Forward Normalization Efforts with Syria as Assad Heads to Oman

The earthquake that struck Syria and Türkiye two weeks ago, that left tens of thousands of people dead and left devastation in its wake, has raised several…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)
Features Children are seen at a refugee camp in Syria's Idlib on January 14. (EPA)

Syria, Türkiye Normalization Takes Shape along Aleppo-Latakia Highway

Open and secret political and security contacts have expanded in recent days to choose the best path to normalize relations with Damascus. Syria and…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)
Features In this photo released by the official Syrian state news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, left, speaks with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (SANA via AP)

Arabs Divided over Syrian-Turkish Normalization and its Conditions 

The United Arab Emirates – through senior officials - is seeking to join Russia in sponsoring the normalization of relations between Syria and Türkiye. The…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)
Features 30 December 2022, Syria, Idlib city: Syrians take part in a demonstration against potential rapprochement between Türkiye and the Syrian government, after the Russian, Syrian, and Turkish defense ministers met in Moscow on Wednesday for talks for the first time since the war broke out in Syria in 2011. (dpa)

Ten Challenges that Will Determine Syria’s Fate in 2023

Ten developments and files, both local and foreign, will determine the fate of Syria in 2023. The resolution of these files will have implications for years…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)
Features Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022. (Reuters)

Normalization between Syria and Türkiye … Putin’s Gift to Erdogan

The Russian-sponsored Syrian-Turkish military meeting that was held in Moscow on Wednesday is the latest effort to achieve rapprochement between Ankara and…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)
Features Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during his meeting with the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in the presence of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi in Tehran in May 2022 (Syrian Presidency)

Iran Pressures Damascus on ‘Sovereign Concessions’

When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Tehran last May, one of the urgent requests he made was to send oil to contribute to resolving his country’s…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)
Features A street in Homs on Oct. 3, 2021 (Reuters)

Damascus is Drowned, ‘Painful’ Offers Await Decision

Damascus is mired in its suffocating economic crisis. Syria is expelling its people and is divided into three “states” separated by border-like lines, where…

Ibrahim Hamidi (London)