Russia Bans U.S. From Syrian No-Fly Zones

A new agreement among Russia, Turkey, and Iran in Syria will establish “de-escalation zones” closed to military aircraft from the U.S.-led coalition, said Alexander Lavrentyev, a special envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The latest effort to reduce violence in the civil-war-torn country was signed Thursday, and full details have not been released. A statement from the United Nations said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “welcomes the commitments to ceasing the use of all weapons, particularly aerial assets.” Lavrentyev said “the operation of aviation in the de-escalation zones, especially of the forces of the international coalition, is absolutely not envisaged, either with notification or without. This question is closed.”