• The PKK/YPG Kurds lost control of the N/E region of Syria because of the decade plus of abuse they have doled out to the Arab population in the area.
• North Eastern Syria was predominantly Arab. The Kurds along with the US carpet bombed vast swathes of the area- taking control of and stealing Syrian resources. The whole time abusing the remaining Arabs. Many who were at the mercy of these terrorists
• Well, pay back time arrived. The Arab population rose up. The Usrael backed PKK/YPG Kurds have maintained there brutal occupation, mass killings have occurred. Still the Arabs have held their ground.Before the troops sent by Damascus could arrive, the Kurds released ISIS thugs from the prisons and there are reports the US has been flying them to other locations
• I’m NO fan of Al Golani. He’s a US stooge, same as the PKK Kurds are. I actually believe he came to save the Usrael Kurds from the hands of the local Arab population. So the Kurds released ISIS because they know the US will use ISIS against Damascus. Turkey. Or possibly in Iran. But, Al Golani arrived to late.

In case you have doubts the carpet bombing mass killing war crime actually occurred…

U.S.-led Coalition Strikes Bombed Trapped Civilians in Syria, Amnesty Says

The coalition’s claims that its precision air campaign allowed it to bomb [ISIS] out of Raqqa while causing very few civilian casualties do not stand up to scrutiny,” Donatella Rovera, senior crisis response adviser at Amnesty International said in a statement. “What leveled the city and killed and injured so many civilians was the U.S.-led coalition’s repeated use of explosive weapons in populated areas where they knew civilians were trapped.”

Leveled the city and Raqqa was a big city.

Raqqa: US coalition ‘wiped city off Earth’, Russia says

Russia has accused the US-led coalition of bombing the Syrian city of Raqqa “off the face of the earth” during the fight against so-called Islamic State. (watch the video)

Let’s read some facts together;

Economist

Economist via Archive.ph

The collapse began after year-long negotiations between the SDF and Damascus floundered. Fighting had broken out on January 6th between government and sdf troops in a Kurdish part of Aleppo, Syria’s second city, prompting the government to send more troops.

Based on other reports I’d seen the Kurds were targeting civilians in the Aleppo area- Including killing them- likely as a pressure tactic

The group’s military campaign against is was internationally lauded, but its ensuing political project became unsustainable as it tried to govern Arab-majority parts of Syria. Cities in the north-east such as Raqqa, freed from is by the Kurds but home to large Sunni tribal populations, were restive under sdf rule. In recent years the SDF had grown more autocratic.

By the time government forces reached Raqqa and northern Deir ez-Zor, much of the region had fallen to tribal fighters. Thousands of Arab recruits in the sdf defected. There was little fighting.

Weeks ago, the group was offered a better deal: three army divisions and a senior defence post for its leader, Mazloum Abdi.

Not good enough

Amid the chaos, more than 100 have escaped prison. The SDF’s collapse may have ended one war, but it risks sowing the seeds of another

Something the US and Israel would like anyway

After the melee- the Arab population released a bunch of children the Kurds had held in prison and tortured

The Assyrians- are informing us of a very different reality than is commonly presented by the perception managing media. Historically speaking the Assyrians have been abused by the Kurdish populace.

Kurdish Militia holds 35 Assyrian Villages Hostage in Syria

To wrap this up, everything you’ve ever been told about the Kurdish fighters has been a narrative to keep you in the dark about what has and is going on in this part of the world

Important- Most of the Kurdish people live within the borders of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria as ordinary persons going about their day. When the PKK moved into N/Eastern Syria many Kurdish people fled the area knowing how brutal this group of irregular criminal, smugglers, drug dealers truly are. And they want no part of this scenario

Gold is nearing $5,000.00 an ounce US – Hitting $4964.00 today

And Trump is stating he has quite a force ready to hit Iran

Atlantic Council

We’re watching Iran,” US President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday as he returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens.” For the past week, a US carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln has proceeded west from the South China Sea to the Persian Gulf near Iran. 

1. What are Trump’s options in Iran?

We are in unprecedented territory. Prior to Operation Midnight Hammer in June, the United States had never directly attacked Iran. The United States spent years developing the technology and expertise necessary to successfully carry out an operation against Iran’s nuclear program. Initiating strikes to protect protesters is an entirely different set of targets and objectives that are likely being developed in real time.

As the USS Abraham Lincoln enters the region, Trump likely has a range of options that fall into following broad categories. 

• Symbolic strikes: This could include strikes on conventional targets, such as Iran’s nuclear or missile program. While these strikes would do little to tangibly help the protesters, it will ensure that nobody can accuse the president of drawing “red lines” and then ignoring them.

• Strikes targeting the security apparatus: Trump likely has intelligence on a range of facilities and personnel connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, law enforcement forces, and the paramilitary Basij militia that may be connected to the crackdown on the protest movement.
• Economic targets: During confrontations between Iran and Israel over the past year, there was speculation that Israel might attack Iranian economic targets. This could include oil export terminals, such as Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, as well as critical natural gas infrastructure. Such an operation would be risky and could impact energy markets, but it would also get the attention of a government that is teetering on the brink of economic collapse.

There were no mass protestors- There were mass armed destabilizers mass killing citizens including beheadings. Using weapons transferred through Iraq with the help of US and Israel. And lots of Starlink terminals supplied by Pentagon contractor Musk. There is lots going on in N/E Syria- with reports of the US flying ISIS fighters into Iraq. They may stay there? They may head into Iran? Hard to say?

Musk’s Starlink in Iran

Starlink is banned in Iran, yet tens of thousands of terminals may have been smuggled into the country, although it remains unclear how many are in use, according to Holistic Resilience, a US nonprofit that has helped deliver Starlink terminals to Iranians and says it is working with SpaceX to monitor what it describes as Iranian attempts to jam the system.

It seems Iran confiscated an untold but quite large number of these- It’s likely another nation ( Perhaps China?) helped Iran to locate these terminals.

Israel and ISIS working together should come as NO surprise at all, they have always partnered up and supported each other

Washingtontimes

Israel and Syria have agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing program and have committed themselves to further diplomatic communications, signaling progress in the U.S.-brokered peace talks between the two Middle East nations.

Syria, Israel and the U.S. announced Tuesday in a joint statement that Damascus and Jerusalem had agreed to create a “joint fusion mechanism [that will] facilitate immediate and ongoing coordination on their intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and commercial opportunities under the supervision of the United States.”

The mechanism will serve as a platform to mediate disputes between Israel and Syria, according to the release, and it will likely play a large role in the U.S.-brokered negotiations.

Trump had to grab Venezuela before Russia and China do.. Same for Greenland

Empire acting desperately and dangerously

Trump says US must acquire Greenland to prevent takeover by Russia or China
‘We’re talking about acquiring, not leasing, not having it short-term … if we don’t do it, Russia or China will,’ US president says

President Donald Trump on Sunday argued that taking over Greenland is necessary for the US to prevent Russia or China from gaining control of the strategic Arctic territory of Denmark.

“If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will take Greenland, and I am not going to let that happen … but one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to Washington, DC, from Florida.

Trump- Acting President of Venezuela

US President Donald Trump on Sunday posted a picture of himself as the “Acting President of Venezuela,” days after a US military operation that led to the capture of the country’s President Nicolas Maduro.

On his social media company Truth Social, Trump posted himself as the acting leader of the South American country as of January 2026.

NYT’s – Venezula had supplied Cuba with oil, circumventing the US embargo of Cuba. Archive.ph

The ousting of Mr. Maduro was a blow to the strong relationship between Venezuela and Cuba, whose governments have close economic and political ties. The Cuban government had long helped Mr. Maduro keep his hold on power; in 2019, Cuban intelligence tipped off Mr. Maduro about a plot to overthrow his government, and Cuban operatives inside his country helped him crush it.
Mr. Trump’s command to Cuba to make a deal was also a message to Venezuela’s new leader, Delcy Rodríguez. She faces pressure to cut the United States into the country’s oil production — and, in turn, to cut off what it gives to other countries, including Cuba.

It is not clear whether Venezuela will bow to the American government’s demands to end oil shipments to Cuba. If it does not, Mr. Trump could order American forces — already engaged in a partial blockade of Venezuela’s oil industry — to seize any tankers that appear to be heading to the island.
The loss of Venezuelan oil would be “catastrophic” for Cuba, according to Jorge Piñon, a former Mexican oil executive and Cuban energy expert who works at the University of Texas at Austin.
Mr. Piñon said that Cuba’s daily fuel demand was about 100,000 oil barrels and that domestic production covered less than half of that. Venezuela was supplying Cuba with approximately 30,000 to 35,000 barrels per day, trade data shows. Much of the remainder in recent years has come from Mexican exports and limited Russian shipments.
Cuba has long held an outsize grip on policymakers in Washington, with the island’s proximity to Florida’s southern tip, its communist ideology, the historical resonance of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis and, not least, the political power of South Florida’s large Cuban American community, which includes Mr. Rubio.

Iran’s leader posts image showing Trump as pharoah– hinting at downfall

The Iranians have a sense of humour!

Trump’s megalomania on full display- settled 8 wars? Settled no wars!

Capturing Putin

“I’ve always had a great relationship with him. I’m very disappointed,” Trump said of Putin. "I settled eight wars. I thought this would be in the middle of the pack or maybe one of the easier ones.”

Lastly, Israel never complied with the so called ceasefire- they just keep on killing Palestinians

Three Palestinians were killed and a fourth was injured in fresh Israeli attacks in southern Gaza, marking a new violation of last year’s ceasefire deal, medical sources said.

The killings happened after an Israeli quadcopter drone struck the victims in the al-Balad area of in Khan Younis, the sources told Anadolu on Monday.

France 24

At least 13 people were killed by Israeli forces in a southern Syrian village overnight, Syrian state television reported Friday, while the Israeli military said six soldiers were wounded in a clash with “terrorists” in the area. Syria’s foreign ministry condemned the Israeli incursion and called it a “war crime”.

“Syria denounces… the criminal aggression” of the Israeli army in the village of Beit Jin, the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that such acts aim to “ignite the region” in conflict.

Israel’s army said at least six soldiers were wounded overnight in an operation to arrest suspects from the Lebanese Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya.

“The suspects operated in the area of Beit Jin in southern Syria and advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians,” Israel’s military said in a statement.

The Israeli military said its troops came under fire from militants and “responded with fire toward the terrorists, along with aerial assistance”.

Of course Israel has no business in and on Syrian territory..So, what to make of the news reported below?

Are Russian patrols redrawing Israel’s borders?

In recent months, Russia has reintroduced the idea of deploying Russian patrols as a buffer force between Syrian and Israeli troops. However, the Syrian government has not yet approved the Russian proposal, according to Israel’s Kan broadcaster on 18 November.

According to political researcher Ayman Eldessouki, statements and movements related to redeploying Russian patrols in southern Syria appear to be a test balloon to gauge negotiating positions. Israel’s repeated violations indicate its desire to maintain full initiative and rely solely on its own military and security apparatus to shape a security environment that guarantees long-term superiority and freedom of action.

Israel, he argues, will not be enthusiastic about any Russian deployment that conflicts with its security approach or restricts its operational mobility.

Russian political analyst Dmitry Bridzhe believes these patrols will remain limited in value unless they form part of a new Syrian framework that respects people’s sacrifices and restores the concept of a national state rather than temporary security arrangements. Russian vehicles near the border are not enough, he said, unless the ultimate objective is restoring a situation in which a national Syrian army protects the borders under a legitimate authority chosen by Syrians.

Are Russian patrolling present day or not? It’s not clear. If they are might they have notified someone of the Israeli incursion?

Israel weighs ‘Lebanon-style military operation in Syria after deadly Beit Jinn raid

According to Israel’s Channel 13, military officials are assessing the option “if it is found that one of [the Syrian government’s] personnel took part in the clashes” that erupted at dawn in southern Syria.

Channel 13 said the confrontation may prompt the army to change its usual operational approach, which relies on near-daily incursions, home raids and arrests.

The outlet claimed the military may reduce ground arrest missions and rely instead on aerial assassinations “to preserve the safety of its soldiers”, drawing a comparison with its operations in Lebanon.

The channel quoted Israeli officers as saying initial investigations suggested the incident was not a pre-planned ambush but a reaction by local residents. They said the army called in the air force after a military Hummer vehicle was disabled during the exchange.

Israeli forces “successfully” detained the two brothers, according to the report, before coming under fire from around 200 metres away. The gunfire halted the vehicle, prompting the military to deploy helicopters, attack aircraft, drones and artillery to evacuate wounded soldiers and “eliminate the attackers”.

It said that during the operation, “gunmen opened fire on the Israeli forces, which responded with fire”, and that “two officers and a reserve soldier were seriously wounded”, alongside additional moderate and light injuries. It said all suspects were arrested and “a number of gunmen” killed.

The Hebrew-language outlet Ynet reported that Israel had sent “harsh messages” to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa after the incident and was preparing “a basket of potential responses”. Israeli security sources told the site they currently see no evidence of Syrian government involvement.

The Islamic Group denied the Israeli accusations, saying it was “surprised” by reports linking it to the clash and insisting it has “no activity outside Lebanon”. It condemned “the Israeli attack on the town and its peaceful residents” and said it adheres to Lebanon’s ceasefire commitments.

1/We have possible positioning of Russian forces on the Syria/Israel border?
2/Israel entering Syria claiming to be chasing terrorists associated with Lebanon, but, the group Israel blames denies involvement?
3/And then we have an interesting news report from Turkey’s Yeni Safak that looks to tie into all of this

Yeni Safak

Israeli media reveals Tel Aviv’s leadership remains silent after a botched Syria operation wounded six soldiers, acknowledging they cannot afford to provoke President Erdoğan. This unusual restraint signals Türkiye’s growing power to deter even regional military powers.

In a striking admission of Türkiye’s rising geopolitical weight, Israeli media reports that Tel Aviv’s leadership is maintaining deliberate silence following a failed military raid in Syria to avoid provoking President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The unusual quiet from typically vocal Israeli officials underscores how Türkiye’s strengthened regional position now serves as a deterrent against military adventurism.

More than 24 hours after Israeli commandos fell into a planned ambush in Syria’s Beit Jinn village, leaving six soldiers wounded including three in serious condition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz have broken with their normal practice of immediate public statements. According to Ynet news analysis, this silence reflects calculated restraint driven by concern over “angering President Erdoğan,” whose influence in Syria has dramatically expanded. Israeli officials reportedly fear that any escalation could draw Türkiye into direct confrontation.

Failed Operation Reveals Multiple Weaknesses

The botched raid itself, intended to detain members of the Islamic Group faction, has exposed significant vulnerabilities in Israeli military operations. Internal sources suggest the mission may have been compromised by intelligence leaks to Syrian forces, forcing soldiers to abandon their military vehicle during retreat. While the Israeli military denies any investigation into intelligence failures, the incident—which Syrian sources say killed 13 civilians including women and children—has proven diplomatically costly, forcing Israel into uncharacteristic public restraint toward Türkiye.

What if the incident was a preplanned ambush?
What if Turkish military/intel and irregular forces were a factor in the ambush of Israeli soldiers?
Definitely interesting- worth following to see how the situation between Turkey and Israel plays out.

The terror attack in Syria-

https://twitter.com/GozukaraFurkan/status/1945471370516738358

You’re supposed to believe Israel is the David fighting the Goliath- the underdog. Don’t believe it. Israel has a plan. It has the power. It has the weapons. It has it’s Kurdish allies, who are heavily armed and safely embedded with the US. The US has it’s back, fully and completely. Both parties wanting the Middle East remade for their mutual benefit.

Birth Pangs, readers. Birth Pangs (tagged posts aplenty!) It’s been a long arduous process. Ongoing for far longer than most realize.
Btw: Israel, in my opinion, is readying another attack on Iran- The US is right alongside them.

Valdai Club– Israel’s War Against Iran: The Dangerous Ambition for Remapping the Middle East

July 16/25

In reference to this strategy, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasizes that: “Whoever raises a hand against Israel – that hand will be cut off”. He has further asserted that: “Any threat to Israel’s sovereignty will be removed before it matures”. This strategy is based on the “Begin Doctrine,” which regards preemptive attacks to eliminate threats as a legitimate right of Israel. Two major risks arise from this approach:

1. Israel disregards peaceful instruments including diplomacy, international law and organizations, and, without consideration of regional and international dimensions, prioritizes military action.
2. The pursuit of absolute security for itself inevitably generates insecurity for others. Since this strategy is not accepted by other states, it leads to a cycle of militarization, a security dilemma, and persistent instability in the region.

The second and more dangerous objective of Israel’s attack on Iran goes beyond mere security concerns and Iran itself; it is the ambition to redraw the map of the Middle East – an aim that Netanyahu has referenced on multiple occasions. Prior to the war with Iran, he emphasized that: “Our war is not just in Gaza, we will change the map of the Middle East”. Following the attacks on Iran,he further asserted that: “The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East …”

In Israeli discourse, the notion of “redrawing the Middle East” refers to the establishment of a new political-security order in the region – imposing through the use of force (military) and grounded in a redefinition of regional balance of power.

This vision seeks to elevate Israel to the status of regional hegemon, enabling it to dictate the rules, roles, and hierarchies within the regional system.

In this context, Israel’s objective in attacking Iran was not necessarily the elimination of a nuclear or missile threat, but rather the strategic weakening of Iran. This is because, from Israel’s perspective, the primary threat posed by Iran is neither its missile capabilities (which serve a defensive purpose), nor its nuclear program (which Iran was prepared to limit through negotiations), but rather the Iran’s practical commitment to the concept of “resistance” – a cornerstone of Iran’s foreign policy that opposes Israeli (and American) expansionism.

Thus, Israel launched its war on Iran based on the misguided assumption that weakening Iran strategically would allow it to restructure the region’s political and security architecture in a way that secures Israeli dominance.

A crucial point in this regard is the broad involvement and support of the United States in Israel’s misguided strategic assumption. The idea that by weakening Iran and the Axis of Resistance on the one hand, and integrating Arab states into a regional alignment with Israel under the framework of the Abraham Accords on the other, it would be possible to engineer a new regional order.

Netanyahu, referring to this strategic cooperation, emphasized that: “I believe that, working closely with President Trump, we can redraw the Middle East even further and for the better.”

The strategic alignment between the Trump administration and Israel illustrates a significant shift in the US approach to the Middle East – from a policy of “guaranteeing Israel’s security” to one of “ensuring Israel’s regional supremacy.”So, Washington’s objective is no longer merely to defend Israel in times of crisis, but to assist in dismantling rival regional structures and actors – not only politically, but also militarily.

This alignment has ironically reshaped US Middle East policy: for instance, the US removed Abu Mohammad al-Julani – a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria whose current ideological distance from his extremist past remains uncertain – from its terrorist list, while simultaneously imposing sanctions on senior UN official focused on Palestinian human rights.

Of course, Washington has its own strategic interests in reshaping the regional map. Having suffered two major failures in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades, its costly interventions have not led to greater influence in the region. On the contrary, the vacuum has been filled by rival powers such as Iran, China, and Russia.

Iran, through the Axis of Resistance, expanded its regional presence; Russia, via military intervention in Syria reasserted itself as a balancing power; and China demonstrated its growing clout by signing a strategic agreement with both the United States’ greatest enemy in the region (Iran) and its closest partner (Saudi Arabia).

Naturally, this situation is unsatisfactory for the United States – a power that has long acted with near-complete freedom in the Middle East – so, it must be changed. In this light, the United States shares a strategic interest with Israel in the project of reshaping the Middle Eastern order. Given its far greater capabilities, one might even argue that the US is the principal architect behind the recent developments in the region.

It is evident that despite certain technological advantages, Israel lacks the capacity to fundamentally alter the Middle East map or even to sustain a full-scale war with Iran on its own. Therefore, the United States must be seen as a key variable in Israel’s war against Iran – actively involved at every stage, from the collection of preliminary intelligence to the supply of munitions, logistics, execution of military operations, and even the management of ceasefire negotiations.

Much, much more information at the Valdai link– The US and Israel will try again. Sooner rather than later. Hope to be wrong.

France 24

The United States announced on Monday that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Syrian group formerly linked to al Qaeda, had its designation as a “foreign terrorist organisation” revoked, one week after the US lifted its decades-long sanctions on the country. Current Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa led HTS when it overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December.

Trump had lifted most sanctions against Syria in May, responding to appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey to help reintegrate the war-battered country into the global economy.

The United States had already removed a bounty on Sharaa’s head after he came to power.

Israel is lovin’ the terror crowd leading Syria as well- Not a surprise

Syrian President Ahmad al‑Shara reportedly met Monday with Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi in Abu Dhabi, Syrian sources said. One source called the meeting “a significant step in the Syrian‑Israeli negotiations.” The report noted this was not the first time the two officials had met.

Last week, diplomatic sources said Syria was advancing “quiet” talks with Israel—not aimed at peace, but at a limited security agreement. The interests of Syria’s president, who is seeking foreign investment and sanctions relief, and Israel’s concern for northern border security, appear to be aligned

Anyone who followed along at my censored site as well as here were fully aware this was the goal- Reshaping the region to benefit Israel and the US. As well as UK and France.

There have been many internal attacks undertaken in Iran recently, including car bombings, as part of the very obvious destablization campaign running in tandem with Israel’s bombing aided by the US.

Could be MEK. Sure. But it could also be the the West’s Kurdish proxies.- The relationship is not new- I’d covered the special relatinship at my former site- Below we see the latest news covering the US relationship with their Kurdish Muslim terrorists.

Newsweek- May 2025

The head of a dissident Iranian Kurdish movement has told Newsweek his group is urging the United States to foster contacts with opposition factions in the Islamic Republic to undermine and ultimately overthrow the government.

While not seeking armed support, Komala Party of the Iranian Kurdistan Secretary-General Abdullah Mohtadi appealed to President Donald Trump to establish a relationship that would help set the conditions for the unraveling of the Iranian government.

“We think that the administration should have an open-door policy with the Democratic opposition to the Iranian regime, like Kurdish people, like different ethnic minorities, different ethnic political groups, providing they are not terrorists, providing they are not undemocratic,” Mohtadi told Newsweek.

Wow, that’s some perception management type spin– He knows Kurds that would ask the US to enable the “overthrowing” of an elected government would be terrorists and undemocratic.

“We think it is in the best national interests of the United States to have a direct dialogue with the different components of the Iranian opposition,” he added, “because if the United States has ties with them, the regime might collapse under pressure from domestic crises."

And while some critics of Iran voice opposition to Trump’s efforts to strike a nuclear agreement with Tehran, Mohtadi felt a deal that restricted the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program would only further serve to impair, rather than empower, the government.

“We stand for a non-nuclear Iran, like the Trump administration does,” Mohtadi said. “We also share the administration’s policy of countering Iran’s malign activity in the region. In my opinion, a deal based on these points does not strengthen the regime. In fact, it weakens it.”

Komala emerged as one of the leading Kurdish armed groups, initially adopting a Marxist-Leninist outlook, to challenge the newly formed Islamic Republic. The party has operated largely underground, establishing networks both within the country and abroad.

Other leading Kurdish movements in Iran include the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK). These groups have been engaged in clashes with Iranian security personnel in recent years, as have other Komala factions, yet Mohtadi said his movement has renounced armed struggle.

Still, all three parties are designated terrorist organizations by the Iranian government.

Engaged in clashes? You gotta love the mind control in that wording. “Engaged in Clashes” Besides Kurdish terror, Iran has also been targeted by ISIS- Or as I like to call the amalgamated western backed terror crowd- KurdIShIS

As mentioned previously the situation was getting serious.

New Arab

Turkish fighter jets reportedly issued electronic warning signals and engaged in jamming operations late on Friday in an effort to deter Israeli aircraft operating in Syrian airspace, amid a new wave of airstrikes across the country.

The rare move came as Israeli warplanes launched attacks on multiple sites, including in the Hama and Damascus regions, drawing renewed scrutiny over ongoing violations of Syrian sovereignty.

Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that one civilian was killed and several others wounded in Israeli attacks on the outskirts of Harasta and the city of al-Tall near Damascus during Friday’s bombardment.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority confirmed the Turkish interference, reporting that “Turkish aircraft are sending warning signals and jamming Israeli fighter jets to make them leave Syrian airspace.”

Turkish officials have voiced increasing frustration at Israel’s expanding operations in Syria, which Ankara regards as a threat to its interests and to regional stability.

Just two days prior, Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had called on Israel to halt its airstrikes, warning that “at this sensitive stage for Syria, it is the duty of the international community to contribute to establishing security and stability in Syria”.

“In this context, Israel must put an end to its airstrikes, which harm efforts toward Syria’s unity and territorial integrity,” the statement added.

In a surprising development, sources told Al Jazeera that an Israeli military helicopter briefly landed in Suwayda before departing, with no reason given for it.

The Israeli military later announced it had targeted anti-aircraft batteries and surface-to-air missile infrastructure, stating it would continue to “act as necessary to protect the citizens of the State of Israel”.

The most politically charged strike came a day earlier, near the presidential palace in Damascus. In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant framed the attack as a “warning message” to the Syrian government, vowing not to tolerate any deployment south of Damascus or threats to the Druze minority.

Israel has tried to position itself as a “protector” of the Druze community in Syria, saying that it has intervened in the country to protect them.

However most Syrian Druze have distanced themselves from Israel and on Friday, an airstrike on the southern Syrian province of Suweida killed four Druze citizens.

Many believe Israel is attempting to destabilise Syria by fuelling and exploiting existing sectarian tensions. Israel has openly stated its wish to split Syria along ethnic and sectarian lines.

Druze leaders, however, have recently released a video affirming their loyalty to a united Syrian state and rejecting calls for division or secession.

There is now way in heck Israel cares about the Druze.

Responsible Statecraft

Since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster late last year, however, dynamics have shifted, transforming Syria into an arena of Turkish-Israeli competition. A major source of tension between Turkey and Israel stems from the former’s desire to see Syria emerge as a strong, unitary state with a Turkey-oriented government in Damascus while the latter wants Syria permanently weak and divided along ethno-sectarian lines.

Israel was involved in the destabilization of Syria from the start- the author of this piece does not mention that reality, but, covertly, they were present.

The Israeli government’s perspective is that Turkey’s growing clout in post-Ba’ath Syria poses a grave threat to the Jewish state.

At the start of this year, an Israeli government committee that assesses regional security issues put out a report warning that Syria’s new Sunni Islamist authorities might pose a graver threat to Israeli security than Syria did under Assad

This was always going to be the narrative once the Usrael backed rebels were ensconced in Syria.

An intensifying showdown

Israel began bombarding Damascus and other parts of Syria, while also illegally usurping more Syrian land past the Golan Heights, in the immediate aftermath of the former regime’s collapse nearly five months ago.

Then late last month and at the start of this month, Israeli military operations struck Syrian bases in which Ankara had indicated interest following much talk about Turkey formalizing a military alliance with post-Ba’ath Syria. Ultimately, Israel wants to prevent a future in Syria where Ankara acts as Syria’s security guarantor and can effectively deter the Israelis from carrying out bombing or ground attacks on Syrian territory at will, which has been happening since Assad’s ouster, and was also taking place to a significant degree during Assad’s final years in power.

“Israel saw an opportunity and a power vacuum in Syria after Assad, launching numerous airstrikes and even attempting ground incursions. It also tried to stir up minority groups like the Druze and Kurds to keep Syria fragmented and weak,” explained Dr. Mustafa Caner, an assistant professor at Sakarya University Middle East Institute, in an RS interview.

“In this context, Israel views Turkey as a threat, because Turkey has made it clear that it will not accept a divided and weakened Syria. In this picture, Turkey acts as a balancing force against Israel.” Despite there being a possibility of the tensions between Turkey and Israel playing out on Syrian soil escalating into a direct state-to-state confrontation, many experts see that as unlikely.

As mentioned on multiple occasions Turkey and Israel not allied in Syria- as they have conflicting goals.

On April 9, Turkish and Israeli officials met in Azerbaijan for talks aimed at bringing Turkey and Israel to a common understanding on Syria’s security landscape. The discussions centered on the establishment of a “deconfliction channel” to reduce the risks of the two powers entering a direct confrontation on or over Syrian territory.

We’ve talked this talk a number of times here already

Let’s cut to the chase: Does Trump want to cool tensions between Israel and Turkey?

Last paragraph from the linked article

“In his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump effectively scored two goals against him: first, by announcing plans to negotiate with Iran, and second, by praising Turkey and President Erdogan for more than two minutes. These were major blows, and Netanyahu will have a hard time overcoming them. As a result, I don’t think Israel can act as recklessly as before, and it certainly cannot afford a direct confrontation with Turkey,” Caner said.

Because Trump has shown himself to be duplicitous in his dealings with Russia- Say one thing do another (hypocrisy) and the Russians are aware of this. I’m going to say that Trump is likely playing the same type of game with Israel and Turkey. Superficially supporting both sides, but Israel knows the US has it’s back. So, I’d have to say the answer is he does not want to cool the tensions.

The area that Israel has co-opted in Syria is now part of their air corridor linking Israeli territory with that of Iran, cutting across Syria and northern Iraq into neighboring Iran

The Turks are (allegedly) deploying anti-aircraft weapons to the former Syrian Arab Army airbases at Palmyra and Menagh. Among those systems deployed that will complicate Israel’s ability to reliably launch and recover airstrikes into Iran are the S-400 Triumf, the Hisar-A and Hisar-O+, and the Korkut air defense systems.

Lots of talk about Israel attacking Iran aided by the US– Prepping for potential retaliation?- A second THAAD systen has been transferred to Israel

The US transferred a second THAAD anti-missile defense battery to Israel, according to a report published Sunday, amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The Saudi Al-Hadath channel reported that the battery arrived in Israel on Saturday, as Iran and the US have traded threats in recent days surrounding talks over the Iranian nuclear program.

Flight tracking websites showed that an American C-5M Super Galaxy, the US Air Force’s largest transport plane, landed at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel on Saturday and remained there for around eight hours before taking off again.

Netanyahu is in Washington for hastily arranged talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington DC on Sunday night ahead of a series of hastily arranged meetings with US President Donald Trump and senior US officials over the next two days.

The meetings will largely focus on the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and the hostages, of whom 59 are still in captivity, as well as Trump’s new tariff policy, under which Israeli goods face a 17 percent US tariff. Netanyahu’s office has also said that “Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat and confronting the International Criminal Court” will be on the agenda.

The premier departed for Washington from Budapest on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the trip was announced.
The visit, which is expected to last until Tuesday but which Channel 12 reported could be extended, was said to have been planned following a three-way conversation last week between Netanyahu, Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Upon his arrival in Washington with his wife, Sara Netanyahu, the premier headed from the airport to Blair House in a convoy, where he met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Iran- USS Carl Vinson

New satellite imagery shows the USS Carl Vinson entering the Indian Ocean via the Malacca Straits, marking a significant step in the U.S. military’s increased presence in the region. This move comes as tensions with Iran and the Houthis in Yemen escalate, signaling the potential for a more aggressive U.S. stance in the coming days and weeks.

US Forces on the ground in Yemen??

A ground military operation targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels is reportedly in the planning stages, with potential backing from Saudi Arabia and the United States, CNN sources have revealed, according to Azernews.

The offensive is expected to be launched from the south and east of Yemen, as well as from the country’s coastal areas. However, the exact timeline for the operation remains undecided.

While the US military is not expected to deploy a full combat force on the ground, sources indicate that “a handful of special forces” may be involved, alongside aerial support through bombing missions.

The aerial bombing has been ongoing.