America and Russia are ‘close to doing deal over Syria’

Israeli officials believe that the Trump administration is close to reaching an agreement with the Russian government on a comprehensive ceasefire and post-war political deal for Syria. 

According to a senior Israeli officer: “It is clear that we are close to an arrangement. The Russians have a clear interest to reach one now that the Assad regime’s survival has been assured and the jihadists, particularly Daesh, are on the back foot in Syria. All that is required is an American decision.” 

According to Israeli intelligence sources, while the Russians criticised the Trump administration two months ago for launching a cruise missile attack on a Syrian air base in response to the regime’s use of chemical weapons against civilians, the understanding in Moscow was that it was a one-off. 

Russian forces in Syria did not change their deployment or tactics in the wake of the American attack and despite a brief war of words between Moscow and Washington, an understanding between the Putin government and the Trump administration remained in effect.