Katherine Wells, Ben Rezaei, Siddhant Kishore, Johanna Moore, Alexandra Braverman, Kelly Campa, Avery Borens, and Annika Ganzeveld

Information Cutoff: 2:00 pm ET

Click here to view ISW–CTP's interactive control-of-terrain map of Syria.

Click here to view ISW's complete portfolio of interactive maps.

Iran and the United States held a second round of nuclear talks in Rome on April 19. The New York Times reported that Iran and the United States agreed on an agenda for “rapid-paced negotiations” during the talks on April 19. Fast-paced negotiations would not necessarily indicate that Iran and the United States have made progress toward resolving outstanding issues, such as Iranian uranium enrichment levels. Iranian officials told the New York Times that the “rapid-paced negotiations” would not require Iran to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure. Iranian officials have emphasized in recent days that Iran is willing to reduce its uranium enrichment but have rejected demands to completely dismantle the Iranian nuclear program.

Senior US, Iranian, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials conducted a series of meetings on the sidelines of the nuclear talks in Rome. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi met with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in Rome on April 19. Grossi previously met with senior Iranian officials in Tehran on April 16 and17 to discuss technical issues and the US-Iran talks. Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi also met with Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Tajani in Rome on April 19. Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was reportedly in Rome at the time of the talks. Dermer and Witkoff met in Paris on April 18.

Iran and the United States plan to hold technical-level discussions in Muscat, Oman, on April 23, followed by a third round of high-level talks in Muscat on April 26. The New York Times reported that the technical-level talks will focus on the maximum level to which Iran could enrich uranium and mechanisms for monitoring and verifying Iranian compliance with a nuclear agreement. The Wall Street Journal reported on April 19 that major intelligence gaps remain in the IAEA’s understanding of Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s removal of monitoring equipment and limits on inspector access in recent years has contributed to these intelligence gaps.

Key Takeaways:

• Iran and the United States held a second round of nuclear talks in Rome on April 19. Senior US, Iranian, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials conducted a series of meetings on the sidelines of the nuclear talks in Rome. Iran and the United States plan to hold technical-level discussions in Muscat, Oman, on April 23, followed by a third round of high-level talks in Muscat on April 26.

• The US Department of Defense will reduce the number of US forces deployed in Syria to "less than a thousand US forces” in the coming months. Two senior US officials told the New York Times on April 17 that the United States will close three bases in Syria, including Mission Support Site Green Village and Mission Support Site Euphrates. A full US withdrawal from Syria would severely undermine the counter-ISIS mission in Iraq and Syria and would create a vacuum that ISIS could exploit to reconstitute.

• Anti-Assad groups appear to be conducting acts of vigilante justice in response to the Syrian transitional government’s failure to prosecute and hold accountable former Assad regime officials. The transitional government has thus far failed to publicly prosecute high-profile former Assad regime members who committed crimes against the Syrian people under Assad. The transitional government must charge, prosecute, and sentence former Assad regime members to demonstrate its commitment to transitional justice.

• Documents leaked by Iraqi militias suggest that Syrian President Ahmed al Shara’s time in Camp Bucca may have been instrumental in enabling him to return to Syria to establish Jabhat al Nusra. The documents are also mostly consistent with Western reporting and Shara’s own statements about his background. Camp Bucca was a notorious incubator for future Islamic State (IS) commanders and Shara’s detainment at Bucca probably enabled him to build relationships with the “intermediaries” who put him in contact with IS “caliph” Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.

• Saudi media reported on April 19 that the Houthis have placed landmines around Hudaydah City in preparation for a potential Yemeni Armed Forces ground offensive, citing unspecified government sources. The Houthis have previously used landmines to fortify Houthi positions against Yemeni Armed Forces attacks.

Click Here to Read the Full Report

Website | Jobs & Internships

Follow ISW on social media:

Facebook | X | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn | Threads | Bluesky

Donate online or by sending a check to the Institute for the Study of War at 1400 16th Street NW, Suite #515, Washington, DC, 20036. Please consider including the Institute for the Study of War in your estate plans.

ISW is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy research organization. ISW advances an informed understanding of military affairs through reliable research, trusted analysis, and innovative education. We are committed to improving the nation's ability to execute military operations and respond to emerging threats in order to achieve US strategic objectives.