Charles Lister

I just left #Syria after an extraordinary trip — one that until recently I never thought I’d make again. From #Aleppo, to #Idlib, #Latakia, #Tartus, #Salamiya, #Suwayda & #Damascus. So many takeaways, but most of all: it's free & everyone is overjoyed. A 🧵:

I spoke last week with acclaimed German filmmaker @carlgierstorfer on his "Close Up" podcast -- we spent 90mins talking all about #Syria: the past, present & future, following #Assad's fall. Listen in, here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cha…

NEW #SyriaWeekly 'Your Questions Answered', tackling x2 subscriber Qs: - What does the recent violence in #Suwayda mean for #Syria's future? - What's the role & influence of #Russia & #China, amid attempts to compete with the West? syriaweekly.com/p/your-questio…

French defense, aerospace & electronics giant Thales has been in #Damascus this week, meeting with #Syria's transitional gov't. A joint working group has been established with Thales to work on "digital intelligence... for service & administrative infrastructure of #Damascus."

The investigative committee that spent 4 months looking into the March 2025 violence on #Syria's Coast submitted its report to President Ahmed al-Sharaa yesterday. The committee is due to give a press conference revealing its findings tomorrow. A consequential test is ahead.

"The current gov't of #Syria... has conducted themselves as best they can as a nascent gov't with very few resources to address the multiplicity of issues that arise in trying to bring a diverse society together." #Trump's Envoy to #Syria doubles down: apnews.com/article/syria-…

"Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time." Quite the piece from @BarakRavid, quoting 6 #Trump admin officials expressing exasperation at #Israel's recent escalatory actions in #Syria. axios.com/2025/07/20/isr…

Interesting: #Syria's Information Minister says ~300,000 disinformation accounts have been active amid the #Suwayda violence, based primarily out of "four countries." He says "some appear to support the state but they focus on promoting divisive rhetoric."

Reports suggest hostilities have ended in #Suwayda, as tribal forces withdrew from the city per ceasefire conditions. The humanitarian crisis is appalling. A large aid convoy (coordinated by govt & SARC) is now in #Daraa waiting to enter. Calm heads *desperately* needed now.

So sad to see #Suwayda like this. I visited for the 1st time — & was welcomed so warmly — earlier this year. Notwithstanding the need for accountability for all crimes of recent days, a serious, sustained process must resolve #Suwayda’s status in #Syria.

U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Ambassador Thomas J. Barrack met with SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi today to discuss the current situation in Syria and the need for urgent steps to restore calm and stability. They also discussed practical steps towards integration into a unified…

This morning, the 1st phase of the ceasefire deal began -- with #Syria gov't interior ministry forces entering #Suwayda to assert control & end fighting. This evening, the 2nd phase began -- humanitarian corridors, evacuation of injured, delivery of aid & hostage negotiations.

Amman, July 19, 2025 - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, and U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack held a trilateral meeting today to discuss the situation in Syria and efforts to stabilize the…

The most comprehensive and useful explanation of the timeline of recent violence in Suwayda and the dynamics behind it. A must-watch for anyone (which is most people) commenting on affairs in the province, but not fully on top of what precisely has been happening.

#Israel's intervention in #Suwayda on July 14 turned hostilities from a localized conflict into a zero sum game perceived by many to be central to defining #Syria's future. And it gave Hikmat al-Hijri the confidence to revoke 4 ceasefires in 5 days, fueling further escalation.