On the one hand, there is a strategic “pull” toward a greater possibility of Damascus, Moscow, Tehran and Ankara working together to push US forces out of northeast Syria. On the other side, the power dynamic with Russia may be shifting in Ankara’s favor lately

Syria claims that economic recovery and improvements to public service delivery have been hindered by unilateral sanctions and military occupation imposed by the US and its allies

Russia reiterated its demand that this mechanism should be allowed only for a limited period of time and called for the end of Western unilateral sanctions on Syria, the main cause of the humanitarian crisis in the country

Last week’s meeting between Syria and Turkey in Moscow show that Russia’s standing in the West Asian region is far from defined by the Ukraine conflict

Damage caused by the unprovoked Israeli air strike made Damascus international airport non-operational for a few hours for the second time in under a year  

Turkey has played a key role in prolonging the war in Syria by aiding anti-government forces and by launching repeated incursions into country under the pretext of targeting the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) forces

Syria has suggested that “cross border humanitarian aid” to rebel-held areas is discriminatory and a violation of sovereignty, and is demanding that all foreign aid to the country should flow through the government

Turkey claimed that it was targeting the YPG, the armed wing of the Kurdish Democratic Party (PKK), which it blamed for attacks in Istanbul last week. The PKK has denied any responsibility for the attacks

UN special rapporteur Alena Douhan claimed that the unilateral sanctions have hampered the supply of adequate food, basic medicines and medical equipment, and spare parts for power plants, among other things, depriving millions of Syrians of their basic human rights 

At least 15 people were killed in the attacks. According to Lebanese media, the attacks were carried out by Israel which has a history of attacking civilian targets inside Syria

This was the third such instance of Israeli aggression inside Syria this month. Israel has carried out thousands of such strikes inside Syria since 2011, in complete violation of the UN charter

The US Central Command claimed that the airstrikes targeted “Iran backed groups” that were allegedly involved in last week’s drone attack on its al-Tanf base in the region