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  • ‘Very serious retaliation’: U.S. strikes ISIS targets in Syria

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    ‘Very serious retaliation’: U.S. strikes ISIS targets in Syria

    The Trump administration launched more than 70 strikes against ISIS targets in Syria on Friday, responding to an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter last week.

    Updated: 6:44 AM PST Dec 20, 2025

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    The Trump administration struck more than 70 ISIS targets in Syria on Friday, according to the Pentagon, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. and Syrian forces last week.On Friday evening, President Donald Trump told a crowd in North Carolina, “Just 2 hours ago, we hit the ISIS thugs in Syria who were trying to regroup after their decimation by the Trump administration 5 years ago. We hit them hard.”Trump further described the operation as successful and precise. In a social media post ahead of his speech, he called it a “very serious retaliation.” That sentiment was echoed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, also known as the secretary of war, in another post. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said. The strikes were in response to an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter last weekend. The president blamed the attack on a member of the Islamic State, although the group has not claimed responsibility. Trump said the U.S. retaliation was fully supported by Syria’s new leader, who has overseen warming relations with the West since the fall of the Assad regime last year. Following the U.S. strikes, Syria’s foreign ministry reiterated its commitment to fighting ISIS and underscored the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism.In a recent national security strategy document, the Trump administration argued that the days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy are over. The administration has sought to build ties with countries like Syria, including in the counterterrorism space, but contends that the threats can be contained “without decades of fruitless ‘nation-building’ wars.” The Trump administration is instead looking to focus closer to home, shifting military resources away from the Middle East and towards South America, as tensions mount with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Asked if the Trump administration would rule out regime change in Venezuela, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in an interview Friday, “The president has spoken about his concerns when it comes to the illegitimate regime in Venezuela, his concerns about the gangs we have seen come from Venezuela, the concerns about the narcotrafficking that we’ve also seen.”

    WASHINGTON —

    The Trump administration struck more than 70 ISIS targets in Syria on Friday, according to the Pentagon, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. and Syrian forces last week.

    On Friday evening, President Donald Trump told a crowd in North Carolina, “Just 2 hours ago, we hit the ISIS thugs in Syria who were trying to regroup after their decimation by the Trump administration 5 years ago. We hit them hard.”

    Trump further described the operation as successful and precise. In a social media post ahead of his speech, he called it a “very serious retaliation.”

    That sentiment was echoed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, also known as the secretary of war, in another post.

    “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” Hegseth said.

    The strikes were in response to an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter last weekend. The president blamed the attack on a member of the Islamic State, although the group has not claimed responsibility.

    Trump said the U.S. retaliation was fully supported by Syria’s new leader, who has overseen warming relations with the West since the fall of the Assad regime last year.

    Following the U.S. strikes, Syria’s foreign ministry reiterated its commitment to fighting ISIS and underscored the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism.

    In a recent national security strategy document, the Trump administration argued that the days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy are over. The administration has sought to build ties with countries like Syria, including in the counterterrorism space, but contends that the threats can be contained “without decades of fruitless ‘nation-building’ wars.”

    The Trump administration is instead looking to focus closer to home, shifting military resources away from the Middle East and towards South America, as tensions mount with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

    Asked if the Trump administration would rule out regime change in Venezuela, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in an interview Friday, “The president has spoken about his concerns when it comes to the illegitimate regime in Venezuela, his concerns about the gangs we have seen come from Venezuela, the concerns about the narcotrafficking that we’ve also seen.”

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  • US military launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American troop deaths

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    The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week ago. A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had IS infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.The new military operation in Syria comes even as the Trump administration has said it’s looking to focus closer to home in the Western Hemisphere, building up an armada in the Caribbean Sea as it targets alleged drug-smuggling boats and vowing to keep seizing sanctioned oil tankers as part of a pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader. The U.S. has shifted significant resources away from the Middle East to further those goals: Its most advanced aircraft carrier arrived in South American waters last month from the Mediterranean Sea.Video below: Trump commented on the strikes during a speech Friday nightTrump vowed retaliationPresident Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian desert, for which he blamed IS. Those killed were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the militant group.Trump in a social media post said the strikes were targeting IS “strongholds.” He reiterated his backing for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who Trump said was “fully in support” of the U.S. effort.Trump also offered an all-caps threat, warning IS against attacking American personnel again.“All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A.,” the president added.The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the U.S. officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official added.U.S. Central Command, which oversees the region, said in a social media post that American jets, helicopters and artillery employed more than 100 precision munitions on Syrian targets.How Syria has respondedThe attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and said al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.Syria’s foreign ministry in a statement on X following the launch of U.S. strikes said that last week’s attack “underscores the urgent necessity of strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms” and that Syria is committed “to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat.”Syrian state television reported that the U.S. strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal al-Amour area near the historic city of Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by ISIS as launching points for its operations in the region.”IS has not said it carried out the attack on the U.S. service members, but the group has claimed responsibility for two attacks on Syrian security forces since, one of which killed four Syrian soldiers in Idlib province. The group in its statements described al-Sharaa’s government and army as “apostates.” While al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with al-Qaida, he has had a long-running enmity with IS.The Americans who were killedTrump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.The guardsmen killed in Syria last Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, also was killed.The shooting near Palmyra also wounded three other U.S. troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned because of suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba has said.The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.___Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut, Lebanon, contributed.

    The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week ago.

    A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had IS infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.

    “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.

    The new military operation in Syria comes even as the Trump administration has said it’s looking to focus closer to home in the Western Hemisphere, building up an armada in the Caribbean Sea as it targets alleged drug-smuggling boats and vowing to keep seizing sanctioned oil tankers as part of a pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader. The U.S. has shifted significant resources away from the Middle East to further those goals: Its most advanced aircraft carrier arrived in South American waters last month from the Mediterranean Sea.

    Video below: Trump commented on the strikes during a speech Friday night

    Trump vowed retaliation

    President Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian desert, for which he blamed IS. Those killed were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the militant group.

    Trump in a social media post said the strikes were targeting IS “strongholds.” He reiterated his backing for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who Trump said was “fully in support” of the U.S. effort.

    Trump also offered an all-caps threat, warning IS against attacking American personnel again.

    “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A.,” the president added.

    The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the U.S. officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official added.

    U.S. Central Command, which oversees the region, said in a social media post that American jets, helicopters and artillery employed more than 100 precision munitions on Syrian targets.

    How Syria has responded

    The attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and said al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.

    Syria’s foreign ministry in a statement on X following the launch of U.S. strikes said that last week’s attack “underscores the urgent necessity of strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms” and that Syria is committed “to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat.”

    Syrian state television reported that the U.S. strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal al-Amour area near the historic city of Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by ISIS as launching points for its operations in the region.”

    IS has not said it carried out the attack on the U.S. service members, but the group has claimed responsibility for two attacks on Syrian security forces since, one of which killed four Syrian soldiers in Idlib province. The group in its statements described al-Sharaa’s government and army as “apostates.” While al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with al-Qaida, he has had a long-running enmity with IS.

    The Americans who were killed

    Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.

    The guardsmen killed in Syria last Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, also was killed.

    The shooting near Palmyra also wounded three other U.S. troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned because of suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba has said.

    The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut, Lebanon, contributed.

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  • 12/19: CBS Evening News

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    Justice Department releases trove of Epstein files hours before deadline; U.S. launches massive strike on ISIS targets in Syria.

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  • Trump holding North Carolina rally to tout actions on economy

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    President Trump is holding a rally in North Carolina on Friday as he works to turn around public opinion on the economy. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion reports.

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  • U.S. strikes ISIS targets in Syria, after 2 soldiers and interpreter were killed last week

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    The U.S. is conducting airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for the attack that killed two American soldiers and a U.S. interpreter on Saturday, multiple sources told CBS News. 

    One of the officials said the U.S. began striking dozens of targets at multiple locations across central Syria using fighter aircraft, attack helicopters and artillery. More than 70 targets were struck, a U.S. official said.  

    F-15 fighter jets, A-10 Thunderbolts — known as “Warthogs” — and Apache attack helicopters were used to target ISIS positions in Syria Friday, U.S. officials told CBS News. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan were also involved in the operation.

    U.S. Central Command described the operation as a “massive strike” and indicated that it was retaliatory in a post on X. In a follow-up post, U.S. Central Command said it used “more than 100 precision munitions targeting known ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites.”

    A U.S. fighter jet prepares for a large-scale strike on ISIS targets in Syria. Dec. 19, 2025. 

    U.S. Central Command


    President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth attended the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base earlier this week for the two soldiers killed, Sgt. William Howard and Sgt. Edgar Torres Tovar, both of the Iowa National Guard, and the interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat. 

    The three individuals were killed when, according to the Pentagon, a lone ISIS gunman ambushed them while they were supporting a key leader in Palmyra, Syria. Three other members of the Iowa National Guard were wounded in the attack. 

    Mr. Trump vowed “very serious retaliation” in a TruthSocial post after the attack, and Hegseth also vowed to “avenge these fallen Americans with overwhelming force.”

    Hegseth announced in a post on X Friday that U.S. forces have begun “Operation Hawkeye Strike” in Syria “to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces.”

    “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies,” Hegseth continued. “Lots of them. And we will continue.”

    After the operation began, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, “President Trump told the world that the United States would retaliate for the killing of our heroes by ISIS in Syria, and he is delivering on that promise.” 

    U.S. Central Command said Friday that since the attack on the American soldiers last weekend, it has conducted 10 operations in Syria and Iraq that have resulted in the death or detention of “23 terrorist operatives.”

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  • 12/19: The Takeout with Major Garrett

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    The DOJ releases a trove of Epstein files; the U.S. launches retaliatory airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria.

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  • Hegseth Announces Operation In Syria To ‘Eliminate’ Islamic State Fighters After Deaths Of Americans – KXL

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    President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth salute as carry teams move the transfer cases with the remains of Iowa National Guard soldiers Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, who were killed in an attack in Syria, during a casualty return, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday announced the start of a military operation in Syria to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” following the deaths of three U.S. citizens in an ambush attack almost a week ago.

    A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that targeted multiple locations and concentrated areas across central Syria that had Islamic State group infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.

    The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official said.

    “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Hegseth said on social media.

    President Donald Trump had pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian desert last Saturday that killed two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter. He blamed IS for their deaths. The troops were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.

    The attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.

    Syrian state television reported that strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal al-Amour area near Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by ISIS as launching points for its operations in the region.”

    White House officials noted that Trump had made clear that retaliation was coming.

    “President Trump told the world that the United States would retaliate for the killing of our heroes by ISIS in Syria, and he is delivering on that promise,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement.

    Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.

    The guardsmen killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed.

    The shooting nearly a week ago near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded three other U.S. troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned because of suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba has said.

    The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.

    When asked for further information, the Pentagon referred AP to Hegseth’s social media post.

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  • Hegseth announces effort to ‘eliminate’ Islamic State fighters in Syria after deaths of Americans

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    Hegseth announces effort to ‘eliminate’ Islamic State fighters in Syria after deaths of Americans

    Updated: 2:39 PM PST Dec 19, 2025

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    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the start of an effort to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” in Syria following the deaths of three U.S. citizens.“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” he said Friday on social media.Two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter were killed Dec. 13 in an attack in the Syrian desert that the Trump administration has blamed on the Islamic State group. The slain National Guard members were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.Soon after word of the deaths, President Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” but stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops. Trump has said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack” and the shooting attack by a gunman came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.The guardsmen killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed.

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the start of an effort to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” in Syria following the deaths of three U.S. citizens.

    “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” he said Friday on social media.

    Two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter were killed Dec. 13 in an attack in the Syrian desert that the Trump administration has blamed on the Islamic State group. The slain National Guard members were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.

    Soon after word of the deaths, President Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” but stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops. Trump has said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack” and the shooting attack by a gunman came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.

    Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.

    The guardsmen killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed.

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  • Exclusive-Syria, Kurdish Forces Race to Save Integration Deal Ahead of Deadline

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    By Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Timour Azhari, Maya Gebeily and Jonathan Spicer

    AMMAN/RIYADH/BEIRUT/ANKARA, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Syrian, Kurdish and U.S. ‌officials ​are scrambling ahead of a year-end deadline to show some ‌progress in a stalled deal to merge Kurdish forces with the Syrian state, according to several people involved in or familiar with ​the talks.

    Discussions have accelerated in recent days despite growing frustrations over delays, according to the Syrian, Kurdish and Western sources who spoke to Reuters, some of whom cautioned that a major breakthrough was unlikely. 

    The ‍interim Syrian government has sent a proposal to the ​Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that controls the country’s northeast, according to five of the sources. 

    In it, Damascus expressed openness to the SDF reorganising its roughly 50,000 fighters into three main divisions and smaller ​brigades as long as ⁠it cedes some chains of command and opens its territory to other Syrian army units, according to one Syrian, one Western and three Kurdish officials. 

    ‘SAVE FACE’ AND EXTEND TALKS ON INTEGRATION

    It was unclear whether the idea would move forward, and several sources downplayed prospects of a comprehensive eleventh-hour deal, saying more talks are needed. Still, one SDF official said: “We are closer to a deal than ever before”.

    A second Western official said that any announcement in coming days would be meant in part to “save face”, extend the deadline and maintain stability in ‌a nation that remains fragile a year after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad. 

    Whatever emerges was expected to fall short of the SDF’s full integration into the ​military ‌and other state institutions by year-end, as ‍was called for in a landmark March ⁠10 agreement between the sides, most of the sources said. 

    Failure to mend Syria’s deepest remaining fracture risks an armed clash that could derail its emergence from 14 years of war, and potentially draw in neighbouring Turkey that has threatened an incursion against Kurdish fighters it views as terrorists. 

    Both sides have accused the other of stalling and acting in bad faith. The SDF is reluctant to give up autonomy it won as the main U.S. ally during the war, after which it controlled Islamic State prisons and rich oil resources. 

    The U.S., which backs Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and has urged global support for his interim government, has relayed messages between the SDF and Damascus, facilitated talks and urged a deal, several sources said. 

    The State Department did not immediately comment on last-minute efforts to agree a proposal before ​year-end. 

    SDF DOWNPLAYS DEADLINE; TURKEY SAYS PATIENCE THIN

    Since a major round of talks in the summer between the sides failed to produce results, frictions have mounted including frequent skirmishes along several front lines across the north.

    The SDF took control of much of northeast Syria, where most of the nation’s oil and wheat production is, after defeating Islamic State militants in 2019.

    It said it was ending decades of repression against the Kurdish minority but resentment against its rule has grown among the predominantly Arab population, including against compulsory conscription of young men.

    A Syrian official said the year-end deadline for integration is firm and only “irreversible steps” by the SDF could bring an extension. 

    Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said on Thursday it does not want to resort to military means but warned that patience with the SDF is “running out”. 

    Kurdish officials have downplayed the deadline and said they are committed to talks toward a just integration. 

    “The most reliable guarantee for the agreement’s continued validity lies in its content, not timeframe,” said Sihanouk Dibo, a Syrian autonomous administration official, suggesting it could take until mid-2026 to address all points in the deal. 

    The SDF had in October floated the idea ​of reorganising into three geographical divisions as well as the brigades. It is unclear whether that concession, in the proposal from Damascus in recent days, would be enough to convince it to give up territorial control. 

    Abdel Karim Omar, representative of the Kurdish-led northeastern administration in Damascus, said the proposal, which has not been made public, included “logistical and administrative details that could cause disagreement and lead to delays”.

    A senior Syrian official told Reuters the response “has flexibility to facilitate reaching an agreement that implements the ​March accord”.

    (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman, Timour Azhari in Riyadh, Maya Gebeily in Beirut, Jonathan Spicer in Ankara, Additional reporting by Orhan Quereman in Syria and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara; Writing by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

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  • Trump participates in dignified transfer honoring U.S. soldiers killed in Syria

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    Washington — President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are participating in a solemn dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday to honor two members of the Iowa National Guard who were killed in Syria over the weekend. 

    The two guardsmen killed in the Syrian desert Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. They were members of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a U.S. civilian who was working as an interpreter, was also killed. The Pentagon said an ISIS gunman ambushed the two guardsmen and the interpreter.

    The president is meeting with their families ahead of the solemn dignified transfer. 

    Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy George is also scheduled to attend, as is Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Grassley’s office said. First Lady Melania Trump was scheduled to join them, but a White House official said she could no longer attend. 

    The dignified transfer was scheduled for 1:15 p.m. ET but is running behind schedule. 

    Photos released by the Iowa National Guard show Sgts. William Nathaniel Howard, left, and Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar. 

    Iowa National Guard via AP


    This is the first dignified transfer Mr. Trump has participated in since taking office in January, although he attended dignified transfer events in his first term. 

    The solemn dignified transfer of remains at Dover Air Force Base is meant to honor those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of their country. The remains of the fallen military members are transferred from the aircraft to an awaiting vehicle at the base. The remains are then transferred to the mortuary facility at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at the Dover Air Force Base. 

    “The dignified transfer is not a ceremony; rather, it is a solemn movement of the transfer case by a carry team composed of military personnel from the fallen member’s respective service,” Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations says. “A dignified transfer is conducted for every U.S. military member who dies in the theater of operation while in the service of their country.”

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  • 12/8: Face the Nation

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    This week on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Syrian rebels have taken control of Damascus, overthrowing the regime of President Bashar Assad. Plus, more on the congressional task force investigation into the security failures leading to the assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump earlier this year.

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  • Iowa police chief identifies son as Iowa Army National Guard soldier killed in ISIS terrorist attack

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    The family of one of two Iowa Army National Guard members killed in a terrorist attack Saturday confirmed his identity in a Facebook post Sunday morning. Meskwaki Nation Police Chief Jeffrey Bunn posted on the department’s page that his son, Nate, is one of the victims. “My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate (Howard) was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer,” Bunn wrote. “He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind. Please pray for our Soldiers all around this cruel world. We will see you again son, until then we have if from here.”In a news conference Saturday night, Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had been in contact with the families of the two slain soldiers. “Earlier, I had the opportunity to reach out to the families of the two soldiers who were killed, and as you can imagine, they are devastated,” Reynolds said.Iowa Army National Guard officials are expected to officially release the soldiers’ names Sunday afternoon. A group of IANG soldiers was in Syria early Saturday morning when a lone ISIS gunman attacked. The soldiers were part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, currently serving in the Middle East.Two were killed, as was a civilian interpreter. Three others were injured. One of the injuries was described as “superficial,” and that soldier was evacuated back to base for treatment. The other two injuries were “significant,” and the soldiers were evacuated to a military hospital at an air base in Jordan.”They are stable in critical condition, but both stable and both have made progress throughout the day,” IANG Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn said. Iowa Gov. Reynolds: ‘Our hearts are heavy’ after Iowa National Guard members killed in SyriaOsborn said that following the ambush, U.S. and partner Syrian forces engaged and killed the attacker. He said at the time of the attack, U.S. personnel were conducting a key leader engagement.”The mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS and counterterrorism efforts in the region, and this incident remains under investigation,” Osborn said. FULL NEWS CONFERENCE: Two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria ambush

    The family of one of two Iowa Army National Guard members killed in a terrorist attack Saturday confirmed his identity in a Facebook post Sunday morning.

    Meskwaki Nation Police Chief Jeffrey Bunn posted on the department’s page that his son, Nate, is one of the victims.

    “My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate (Howard) was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer,” Bunn wrote. “He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind. Please pray for our Soldiers all around this cruel world. We will see you again son, until then we have if from here.”

    In a news conference Saturday night, Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had been in contact with the families of the two slain soldiers.

    “Earlier, I had the opportunity to reach out to the families of the two soldiers who were killed, and as you can imagine, they are devastated,” Reynolds said.

    Iowa Army National Guard officials are expected to officially release the soldiers’ names Sunday afternoon.

    Jeffrey Bunn

    Meskwaki Nation Police Chief Jeffrey Bunn posted on the department’s page that his son, Nate (pictured), is one of the Iowa Army National Guard soldiers who was killed in Syria on Dec. 13, 2025.

    A group of IANG soldiers was in Syria early Saturday morning when a lone ISIS gunman attacked. The soldiers were part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, currently serving in the Middle East.

    Two were killed, as was a civilian interpreter. Three others were injured.

    One of the injuries was described as “superficial,” and that soldier was evacuated back to base for treatment. The other two injuries were “significant,” and the soldiers were evacuated to a military hospital at an air base in Jordan.

    “They are stable in critical condition, but both stable and both have made progress throughout the day,” IANG Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn said.

    Iowa Gov. Reynolds: ‘Our hearts are heavy’ after Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria

    Osborn said that following the ambush, U.S. and partner Syrian forces engaged and killed the attacker. He said at the time of the attack, U.S. personnel were conducting a key leader engagement.

    “The mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS and counterterrorism efforts in the region, and this incident remains under investigation,” Osborn said.

    FULL NEWS CONFERENCE: Two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria ambush

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  • Iowa police chief identifies son as Iowa Army National Guard soldier killed in ISIS terrorist attack

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    The family of one of two Iowa Army National Guard members killed in a terrorist attack Saturday confirmed his identity in a Facebook post Sunday morning. Meskwaki Nation Police Chief Jeffrey Bunn posted on the department’s page that his son, Nate, is one of the victims. “My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate (Howard) was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer,” Bunn wrote. “He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind. Please pray for our Soldiers all around this cruel world. We will see you again son, until then we have if from here.”In a news conference Saturday night, Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had been in contact with the families of the two slain soldiers. “Earlier, I had the opportunity to reach out to the families of the two soldiers who were killed, and as you can imagine, they are devastated,” Reynolds said.Iowa Army National Guard officials are expected to officially release the soldiers’ names Sunday afternoon. A group of IANG soldiers was in Syria early Saturday morning when a lone ISIS gunman attacked. The soldiers were part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, currently serving in the Middle East.Two were killed, as was a civilian interpreter. Three others were injured. One of the injuries was described as “superficial,” and that soldier was evacuated back to base for treatment. The other two injuries were “significant,” and the soldiers were evacuated to a military hospital at an air base in Jordan.”They are stable in critical condition, but both stable and both have made progress throughout the day,” IANG Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn said. Iowa Gov. Reynolds: ‘Our hearts are heavy’ after Iowa National Guard members killed in SyriaOsborn said that following the ambush, U.S. and partner Syrian forces engaged and killed the attacker. He said at the time of the attack, U.S. personnel were conducting a key leader engagement.”The mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS and counterterrorism efforts in the region, and this incident remains under investigation,” Osborn said. FULL NEWS CONFERENCE: Two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria ambush

    The family of one of two Iowa Army National Guard members killed in a terrorist attack Saturday confirmed his identity in a Facebook post Sunday morning.

    Meskwaki Nation Police Chief Jeffrey Bunn posted on the department’s page that his son, Nate, is one of the victims.

    “My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate (Howard) was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer,” Bunn wrote. “He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind. Please pray for our Soldiers all around this cruel world. We will see you again son, until then we have if from here.”

    In a news conference Saturday night, Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had been in contact with the families of the two slain soldiers.

    “Earlier, I had the opportunity to reach out to the families of the two soldiers who were killed, and as you can imagine, they are devastated,” Reynolds said.

    Iowa Army National Guard officials are expected to officially release the soldiers’ names Sunday afternoon.

    Jeffrey Bunn

    Meskwaki Nation Police Chief Jeffrey Bunn posted on the department’s page that his son, Nate (pictured), is one of the Iowa Army National Guard soldiers who was killed in Syria on Dec. 13, 2025.

    A group of IANG soldiers was in Syria early Saturday morning when a lone ISIS gunman attacked. The soldiers were part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, currently serving in the Middle East.

    Two were killed, as was a civilian interpreter. Three others were injured.

    One of the injuries was described as “superficial,” and that soldier was evacuated back to base for treatment. The other two injuries were “significant,” and the soldiers were evacuated to a military hospital at an air base in Jordan.

    “They are stable in critical condition, but both stable and both have made progress throughout the day,” IANG Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn said.

    Iowa Gov. Reynolds: ‘Our hearts are heavy’ after Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria

    Osborn said that following the ambush, U.S. and partner Syrian forces engaged and killed the attacker. He said at the time of the attack, U.S. personnel were conducting a key leader engagement.

    “The mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS and counterterrorism efforts in the region, and this incident remains under investigation,” Osborn said.

    FULL NEWS CONFERENCE: Two Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria ambush

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  • 2 U.S. service members and one American civilian killed in ambush in Syria, US Central Command says

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    Two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed and three other people wounded in an ambush on Saturday by a lone member of the Islamic State group in central Syria, the the U.S. military’s Central Command said.

    The attack on U.S. troops in Syria is the first to inflict casualties since the fall of President Bashar Assad a year ago.

    Central Command said in a post on X that as a matter of respect for the families and in accordance with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the service members will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.

    U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X: “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”

    The shooting took place near historic Palmyra, according to the state-run SANA news agency, which earlier said two members of Syria’s security force and several U.S. service members had been wounded. The casualties were taken by helicopter to the al-Tanf garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.

    SANA said the attacker was killed, without providing further details.

    The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attacker was a member of the Syrian security force.

    The U.S. has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the Islamic State group.

    Last month, Syria joined the international coalition fighting against the IS as Damascus improves its relations with Western countries following the ouster of Assadwhen insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.

    The U.S. had no diplomatic relations with Syria under Assad, but ties have warmed since the fall of the five-decade Assad family rule. The interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, made a historic visit to Washington last month where he held talks with President Donald Trump.

    IS was defeated on the battlefield in Syria in 2019 but the group’s sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in the country. The United Nations says the group still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.

    U.S. troops, which have maintained a presence in different parts of Syria — including Al-Tanf garrison in the central province of Homs — to train other forces as part of a broad campaign against IS, have been targeted in the past. One of the deadliest attacks occurred in 2019 in the northern town of Manbij when a blast killed two U.S. service members and two American civilians as well as others from Syria while conducting a patrol.

    ____

    Mroue reported from Beirut.

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    Samar Kassabali and Bassem Mroue | The Associated Press

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  • Israel ‘trying to drag’ Syria into a conflict, senior regime official claims

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    “We will not be a launching pad for threatening neighboring countries, but we will spare no means to confront and deter Israeli aggression,” Syria’s information minister reportedly said.

    Israel is attempting to “drag” Damascus into a confrontation through multiple provocations, a senior Syrian intelligence official, Hamza al-Mustafa, claimed on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported.

    “Israel is miscalculating when it thinks it can impose facts on the ground,” he claimed. “We are not ashamed to say that we are not in a position of strength, especially after liberation, and we want to focus on rebuilding the country.

    “We will not be a launching pad for threatening neighboring countries, but we will spare no means to confront and deter Israeli aggression.”

    Syrian officials condemn Israeli operations

    Speaking on the incident inBeit Jen, in which a number of IDF soldiers were wounded while arresting two terror suspects earlier this week, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani claimed Israel “threatened regional peace and security.”

    Calling the incident a violation of Syrian sovereignty and international law, he demanded that the United Nations and Arab League put an end to the situation.

    The comments came as the minister met with his Danish counterpart.

    Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Alabi, condemned Israel’s operation earlier.

    This is a developing story.

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  • ISIS Prisons and Camps Are Festering in a Fragile Syria as Aid Peters Out

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    HASAKAH, Syria—In a wing of the notorious Al Sina prison in northeastern Syria, where some of the world’s most dangerous inmates are held, guards wearing balaclavas stood along a corridor lined with cells. A prisoner pressed his face to a small, square hole in one of the cell doors. Behind him, some 20 other prisoners in brown jumpsuits sat barefoot on the floor.

    “Is Biden still the U.S. president?” he asked a visiting journalist. The prisoner, a British Islamic State member, didn’t get an answer.

    Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

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    Sudarsan Raghavan

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  • Iraq pushes for Syrian border wall, threatening Iran’s regional influence

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    Iranian-backed militias used to infiltrate into Syria via the unguarded border – as such, any wall would actually hurt Iran’s project to control the Middle East.

    Iraq has continued to construct a 600km wall bordering Syria, despite Hamas’s October 7 invasion proving that such barriers are often inadequate.

    So far,Baghdad has built 350km of the wall, the North Press agency in eastern Syria reported on November 23. The completed sections are made of concrete.

    The fortification began being constructed in 2022. “Iraq has accelerated construction of a concrete security wall along its northwestern border with Syria, a stretch that also marks the frontier with the Kurdistan Region,” the report says.

    According to North Press, the Iraqis have “explained that approximately 350 kilometers of the concrete security wall have been completed, while efforts continue to seal all remaining gaps to prevent infiltration and smuggling.”

    The concrete wall is “reinforced by a multi-layered security system, which includes a trench 3 meters wide and 3 meters deep, an earthen berm rising 3 meters high, a four-layer inflatable barrier, observation towers positioned at one-kilometer intervals, each equipped with advanced thermal cameras linked to a centralized monitoring system.

    Members from Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) with aid to support victims of the deadly earthquake, wait to cross the border on the Iraqi side of Iraq-Syria border, Iraq, February 12, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/AHMED SAAD)

    ISIS invaded Iraq from Syria in 2014. But it wasn’t just ISIS that Iraq had to worry about. After ISIS was largely defeated in 2019, it was Iranian-backed militias that used to infiltrate into Syria via the unguarded border. As such, any wall would actually hurt Iran’s project to control the region.

    When the Assad regime fell, the Iraqi government decided to increase work on the wall because it wanted security with Syria.

    Syria and Iraq have a complex history

    In the wake of the Arab Revolt, one of the sons of the Arab leader Sharif Hussein, Faisal, sought to seize Syria and crown himself king. He was expelled by the French and ended up as the king of Iraq. His family’s rule came to an end in 1958.

    Eventually, both Syria and Iraq were led by types of the Ba’ath party. Later, Saddam Hussein was overthrown and Iraq shifted closer to Iran. This suited the Assad regime because it was also close to Iran. Today, things are a bit different; Iraq is led by pro-Iranian officials, while Damascus is led by former members of HTS, a Sunni group that opposed Iran’s role in Syria. Both Iraq and Syria have Kurdish regions that enjoy forms of regional rule.

    The wall is also supposed to have “an integrated defense network made up of trenches, barbed wire barriers, and early warning systems, supported by high-precision thermal imaging and 24/7 day-and-night surveillance devices.”

    Other reports in the region have closely followed the construction. Levant24 in Syria has also reported on it. A website named Sarif noted that “with the completion of this wall, four of Syria’s six neighboring countries have now begun to build security barriers on their borders.” These include Turkey’s 911km wall on the Syrian border, Israel’s fence system on the Golan, which the report says is 92km long. It also says Jordan has a “multi-layered barbed wire system, trenches, and guard towers are being completed with US funding.”

    A previous report in North Press also noted that Iraq had recently invested in a 40km section of wall between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Syria. This stretches from Peshkhabur in Duhok Governorate to Rabia. It was unclear if this was an anti-Kurdish policy designed to divide the Kurdish regions of Iraq and Syria.

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  • Opinion | Syria Comes to Washington—at Long Last

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    Can you believe President Trump sat down with him at the White House? That’s the question most of the media has posed after the Monday visit of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former al Qaeda and Islamist rebel commander who now rules Syria. But what if this framing gets the dynamic backward?

    Mr. Trump will meet with anyone, as he’s amply demonstrated. The real geopolitical news here is that a President of Syria has come to the White House—for the first time—to bring his country into the American orbit. This is an opportunity to reverse seven decades of enmity.

    Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

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    The Editorial Board

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  • UN Security Council Removes Sanctions on Syria’s President and Interior Minister

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    UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The United Nations Security Council removed sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

    The U.S.-drafted resolution on Thursday also lifted sanctions on Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab. It received 14 votes in favor, while China abstained. 

    Washington has been urging the 15-member Security Council for months to ease Syria sanctions.

    After 13 years of civil war, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December in a lightning offensive by insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

    Formerly known as the Nusra Front, HTS was al Qaeda’s official wing in Syria until breaking ties in 2016. Since May 2014, the group has been on the U.N. Security Council’s al Qaeda and Islamic State sanctions list.

    A number of HTS members are also under U.N. sanctions – a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo – including its leader Sharaa and Khattab.

    Trump announced a major U.S. policy shift in May when he said he would lift U.S. sanctions on Syria.

    United Nations sanctions monitors have seen no “active ties” this year between al Qaeda and HTS, according to a U.N. report seen by Reuters in July.

    (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Daniel Wallis)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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  • Syrian leader al-Sharaa to meet Trump at White House this month, U.S. envoy says

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    Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to visit Washington, D.C., on Nov. 10 and meet with President Trump at the White House, Tom Barrack, the U.S. envoy to Syria and U.S. ambassador to Turkey, confirmed to CBS News on Saturday.

    This would mark the first-ever visit by a Syrian president to the White House.

    CBS News has reached out to the White House for more details.

    Al-Sharaa, who once led an affiliate of al Qaeda and was designated as a terrorist by the U.S. in 2013, led a surprise attack on Aleppo in November 2024. This led to the end of 54 years of the Assad family’s tyrannical rule in 11 days. Leaders of the militias appointed him as president of Syria in January.

    Mr. Trump met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May, highlighting the stunning reversal in fortunes for the former Islamist militant who spent years with a U.S. government bounty on his head. Mr. Trump called him a “young, attractive guy, tough guy, strong past,” aboard Air Force One following their meeting.

    Their meeting came a day after Mr. Trump announced that his administration was lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria “to give them a chance at greatness.”

    In September, al-Sharaa addressed the U.N. General Assembly — the first time a president from his country had done so in nearly six decades.  

    “Syria is reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world,” he said in his speech.

    Civil war in Syria started in 2011 and ended last year — a conflict that pushed about half of Syria’s population out of their homes. Al-Sharaa is now facing questions over whether he can unify, stabilize and democratize the nation.

    The Associated Press,

    Joe Walsh,

    Tucker Reals and

    Margaret Brennan

    contributed to this report.

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