Israel and Jordan conducted secret talks on Friday to coordinate about the situation in Syria, three Israeli officials told Axios. Why it matters: The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime has left a fragile state, a chemical weapons stockpile and numerous different armed rebel groups, some of them Islamist organizations once affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

An Arab diplomat from the region said this week that authorities in Egypt, Jordan, and neighboring states are monitoring Syria closely.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the United States was communicating directly with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant rebel faction, despite its designation as a terrorist group.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan say they are aligned in their vision for Syria.

The United States is working to bring home an American citizen found on Thursday in Syria, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Jordan, where he held meetings to discuss the political transition in Syria.