More than a decade after U.S. forces entered Syria under the banner of the “war on terror,” signs are mounting that Washington may be preparing to turn the page on its military presence there.

Syria’s new leadership faces a delicate balance: containing "Israel’s" southern incursions while pursuing a security deal to protect sovereignty and reclaim territory lost after Assad’s fall.

The Syrian street is steadily turning up the pressure on the country’s new leadership to lock in the principles of transitional justice and hold those responsible for crimes against civilians to account after years of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

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.