Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework backs Nouri al-Maliki for prime minister despite U.S. opposition and internal warnings of risks.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Russia amid the post-SDF militia shift strengthens Damascus’ state control, expands Russian economic and security influence, and reshapes regional and strategic dynamics.

After years in which the SDF militias controlled Syria’s most significant oil fields, the country’s new authorities have moved to reclaim a meaningful share of this strategic resource, marking a notable shift in the energy sector as production begins to resume.

With the approval of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, for the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki, a senior figure in Iraq’s SCF, to assume the post of prime minister for a third term, questions have intensified over how the United States might respond to this.

The SDF militia faces a crucial four-day deadline to comply with Syria’s integration plan, as delays and external pressures raise the risk of renewed conflict.

As Trump threatens to strike Iran if the authorities move to kill protesters, Tehran has relied on Iraqi militias loyal to it to help suppress demonstrations that erupted across the country on December 28, 2025, sparked by a sharp economic downturn.

As part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced on January 16, 2026, the appointment of General Jasper Jeffers to lead the newly established International Stabilization Force in the Gaza Strip.

The United States recently imposed terrorist designations against the Lebanese, Jordanian, and Egyptian chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Shia Coordination Committee recently reached a near-agreement to nominate Nouri al-Maliki for a third term as Prime Minister.

The Syrian state has put forward an unexpected model in handling the file of dismantling the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF), which continues to stall the integration process by holding on to pressure cards against Damascus.

Syria, “Israel”, and the U.S. agreed on a security and economic coordination mechanism, while Syria’s silence leaves the deal’s political impact uncertain.

Shiite forces within Iraq’s ruling Coordination Framework have reached an impasse over selecting a new PM, with both Nouri al-Maliki and current PM Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani firmly backing their own bids.

With the official launch of Syria’s new currency at the start of 2026, the country is embarking on a shift in monetary policy that goes well beyond design and denomination, touching deeper economic and financial realities.

Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, long aligned with al-Assad, now uses sectarian rhetoric to challenge Syria’s new state and stir division on the coast.

The new Syrian state continues to track and monitor sabotage operations carried out by remnants of Assad’s ousted regime, who have made the Syrian coast a secret hub for operations aimed at destabilizing security.