Overview
- Israeli forces continue to hold a roughly 155‑square‑mile area inside southern Syria, carrying out arrests, seizing weapons and conducting targeted strikes.
- Israel insists on demilitarising territory from southern Damascus to the border, a condition President Ahmad al‑Sharaa rejects as creating a dangerous security vacuum.
- Trump’s team had signaled a deal was nearly complete after his November meeting with al‑Sharaa, but talks remain stalled and Israel’s foreign minister says the gap has widened as Damascus adds demands.
- Experts at the Middle East Institute say Syria’s 2026 stability hinges on resolving SDF integration in the north‑east, quelling Sweida unrest and defusing the Israeli front.
- Analysts and former U.S. officials argue Washington needs a sustained diplomatic presence, while U.S. Central Command says it stands ready to support talks and integration efforts that Damascus says the SDF has not implemented.