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21-27 Jun 2025

Published: June 28, 2025

SYRIA SITREP: 2025-06-21 - 2025-06-27 (Published: 2025-06-28)

Executive Summary

This week was marked by a significant escalation in Israeli military activity in southern Syria and a parallel intensification of the transitional government's diplomatic and economic outreach. Israel launched near-daily ground incursions into Quneitra and Rif Dimashq, prompting the UN to declare the actions a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. This represents a major shift in regional security dynamics.

Concurrently, Damascus engaged in a flurry of international activity. High-level meetings were held with envoys from the UK, Italy, China, Germany, and Brazil, alongside discussions with Qatar and Jordan on energy and trade. A key economic development was the World Bank's approval of a $146 million grant to rehabilitate Syria's electricity grid, signaling a potential opening for major international financial support.

Domestically, the relationship with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) showed signs of both friction and pragmatism. The SDF’s unilateral move to manage Qamishli Airport was denounced by the government, while a new political body, the National Authority for Syrian Jazeera, formed as a potential alternative to SDF rule. Despite this, the two sides extended their crucial oil trade agreement. Security forces continued to dismantle remnants of the former regime, detaining prominent drug lord Wassim al-Assad and a former Air Force general, alongside ongoing counter-narcotics operations.

Key watchpoints for the coming week are the potential for further Israeli military actions in the south and the evolving dynamic between the transitional government and the SDF over control of territory and resources in the northeast.

Detailed Analysis

This section provides in-depth coverage of the week's events. It is organized into three main numbered areas. Under 'Politics', 'Business' and 'Security', descriptive sub-chapter titles have been created based on the most significant themes emerging from this week's data.

1. Politics

Covers all diplomatic, governmental, and internal political activity.

International Affairs
  • UK Special Envoy Ann Snow visited Damascus, holding meetings with Justice Minister Mazhar al-Ways on June 25 and Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa on June 26 to discuss judicial reform and combating disinformation.
  • President Ahmed al-Sharaa received phone calls from Lebanese General Joseph Aoun on June 24 regarding a recent bombing and from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on June 24, who expressed rejection of any aggression threatening Syria's security.
  • Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani hosted meetings in Damascus with Italy’s Charge d’Affairs Stefano Ravagnan on June 25 to discuss reconstruction and with China’s Ambassador Shi Hongwei on June 27 to discuss trade.
  • On June 27, UN Under Secretary General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix declared Israel to be in violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement due to its recent ground incursions.
  • A Syrian-Jordanian Joint Technical Committee met in Amman on June 26, agreeing to reduce transit fees. The same day, Jordanian King Abdullah called President al-Sharaa.
  • In the US, Representatives Ilhan Omar and Anna Paulina Luna announced the introduction of the bipartisan “Syria Sanctions Relief Act” on June 27.
  • Algeria appointed veteran diplomat Abdulqader al-Hussaini as its new Ambassador to Syria on June 25.
  • U.S. Special Envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, traveled to Saudi Arabia on June 26 to meet with Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud.
Domestic Affairs
  • SDF-Government Relations: The SDF's 'autonomous administration' announced on or around June 21 its establishment of a "General Administration" to manage Qamishli Airport, a move Syria's Civil Aviation Authority immediately declared a "violation of international law." In a separate development, the SDF detained at least six of its own Deir ez Zour Military Council commanders around the same time. However, on June 26, Syrian media reported that the government and the SDF had agreed to continue their oil and gas trade for another three months. The SDF also issued a public statement on June 25 denying government allegations that bombers involved in the St Elias Church attack came from the al-Hol Camp.
  • Transitional Governance: The Supreme Committee for the People’s Assembly elections traveled to Aleppo on June 25 and Homs on June 26 to hold meetings with local notables. On June 25, President al-Sharaa hosted a delegation from Quneitra and the Golan Heights to discuss the situation regarding Israel.
  • New Political Formations: A group of civil and tribal notables from the Jazeera region announced the formation of the National Authority for Syrian Jazeera on June 26, positioning it as a civil alternative to the SDF and AANES.
  • Policy and Reform: Interior Minister Anas Khattab officially approved a reduction in passport issuance fees on June 26. On June 25, the Minister of Economy and Minister of Communications met to discuss digital transformation.

2. Business

Covers all economic activity, investment, and development. This week saw significant developments in international funding, energy cooperation, and cross-border trade.

Major International Funding and Investment
  • The World Bank officially approved a $146 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA) on June 25. The funds are for a project to rehabilitate two 400kV high-voltage power lines and repair electrical substations in Aleppo, Idlib, and Rif Dimashq.
  • At the Carlton Investment Conference in Idlib city on June 24, Governor Mohammed Abdulrahman announced a $1.5 million project to build a new hotel.
  • A delegation from the Turkish Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MUSIAD) met with the Aleppo Governor on June 24 to discuss construction opportunities.
Energy and Infrastructure Developments
  • Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir held a virtual conference on June 25 with his Jordanian counterpart and the Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development to discuss plans to increase the supply of natural gas to Syria.
  • On June 26, senior Syrian electricity officials met with a delegation from the Turkish company Levent Elektrik to discuss moving forward on a 400kV transnational power line project.
  • The government and the SDF agreed on June 26 to extend their oil and gas trade agreement for three more months, ensuring continued supply from fields in Deir ez Zour and Hasakeh.
  • In a TV interview on June 27, the Chairman of Syria’s Civil Aviation Authority stated that discussions were ongoing for the potential construction of new international airports in Aleppo, Damascus, and central Syria.
Cross-Border Trade and Commerce
  • On June 25, Syria’s General Authority for Land and Sea Ports announced the removal of the pre-existing $115 diesel tax on trucks and buses crossing between Syria and Jordan.
  • Following a joint committee meeting on June 26, the Ministry of Transport announced that transit fees between Jordan and Syria had been reduced from 5% to 2%.

3. Security

Covers all military, conflict, internal stability, and humanitarian conditions. The security landscape was dominated by a sharp increase in Israeli military operations in the south and continued law enforcement actions against former regime elements and criminal networks.

Escalating Israeli Incursions in the South
  • Israel launched a series of ground incursions into Quneitra province. On June 24, forces entered the villages of Taranja and Jubata al-Khashab.
  • On June 26, Israeli forces conducted multiple incursions, including into the Hamidiya area, where a frontline post was reportedly being re-established, as well as into Bir Ajam, Taranja, and Tel Ahmar.
  • Activity intensified on June 27, with incursions reported near the Manta Dam, Jubata al-Khashab, the al-Alam junction (where a new IDF base appears to be under construction), Ayn al-Bayda, Samdaniya, and Hamriya. A separate incursion was launched into Beit Jin in Rif Dimashq.
Arrests of Former Regime and Criminal Figures
  • On June 21, Bashar al-Assad’s cousin Wassim al-Assad, described as one of Syria's most powerful drug lords, was detained in an ambush in Telkhalakh, Homs.
  • Public Security forces detained several high-profile former regime officials on June 25, including Major General Mizr Suwan in Harasta and businessman Madhloul al-Aziz in Damascus.
  • Interior Ministry anti-narcotics forces, acting on intelligence from Saudi Arabia, seized 200,000 captagon pills in Aleppo on June 25.
  • A security meeting was held in Daraa on June 25 to address a recent escalation in violence, followed by raids on June 27 that detained several men accused of involvement in organized crime in Jassem.
Persistent Low-Level Violence and Insecurity
  • Targeted Killings: At least eight targeted killings were reported across the country. Victims included former Assad regime soldiers and militiamen in al-Bab (June 24), Aleppo city (June 25), and Latakia (June 24); an alleged drug trafficker in Daraa al-Balad (June 24); and other individuals in Idlib city (June 26), Latakia city (June 25), and Hama (June 26).
  • Explosive Hazards: At least five separate incidents involving landmines or unexploded munitions were reported between June 25-27, resulting in at least 3 deaths and 10 injuries in Idlib, Aleppo, Homs, Raqqa, and Deir ez Zour.
  • Jihadist Activity: The jihadist group Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility on June 26 for recent deadly attacks targeting the Murshidi religious minority in rural Homs.
  • Other Incidents: A child was shot dead by an SDF fighter in Deir ez Zour on June 26. A tribal clash in Gharanij on June 24 killed one combatant. A kidnapping for a $500,000 ransom that occurred on June 23 near the Nassib border crossing was reported on June 27, causing significant local tension in Daraa.

Relevant Context

The 1974 Disengagement Agreement: The repeated Israeli ground incursions reported this week are a direct violation of the Agreement on Disengagement signed between Israel and Syria in May 1974, which formally ended the Yom Kippur War. The agreement established a ceasefire line in the Golan Heights and created a buffer zone monitored by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). For decades, this line was one of the most stable in the region. The recent pattern of incursions to re-establish posts and reportedly build new bases represents a significant departure from the status quo and a direct challenge to the mandate of UNDOF, explaining the strong condemnation from the UN.

SDF-Government Relations: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led alliance, controls much of northeastern Syria, including key oil fields and agricultural lands. Its relationship with the transitional government in Damascus is complex and often contradictory. The dispute over Qamishli Airport highlights the ongoing struggle for control over strategic infrastructure and sovereignty. Simultaneously, the extension of the oil trade agreement demonstrates a mutual dependency: the government needs SDF-controlled oil for its refineries, and the SDF needs the revenue from those sales. This dynamic of simultaneous conflict and cooperation is central to the political and economic landscape of post-Assad Syria.