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Syria

Syria
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Syria. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Capital
Damascus
Head of State
President Bashar al-Assad
Head of Government
Prime Minister Hussein Arnous
Firefighters douse fire at the site of an explosion that took place at a temporary arms and war ordinance depot in the town of Samarda in Idlib province on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Middle East

14 killed as explosion rocks Syria arms depot: authorities

The marks the second deadly blast in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province this month, after a car carrying ammunition exploded, killing five.

Middle East

UN report confirms Syria was building nuclear reactor during Assad rule

Middle East

Opinion | Could Mecca defence pact be first step to new Middle East order?

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Middle East

Israel’s strikes push Syria towards joining Mecca defence pact

Air strikes intended to curb Turkish expansion risk triggering the very encirclement Israel fears, analysts say.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (left) shakes hands with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Thursday. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan / AFP
Middle East

US removes Syria from state sponsor of terrorism list in major diplomatic shift

Washington lifts decades-old designation, removing final barriers to foreign investment following Assad’s fall.

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Israel-Gaza war

Syria holds talks with Israel addressing de-escalation, Israel-Turkey tensions

A Syrian government source said Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Roman Gofman.

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Middle East

US envoy walks back comments on Golan Heights that contradicted Trump’s position

Tom Barrack had said Israel ‘still’ occupies the territory but on Sunday said that was a description of the Golan Heights’ historical status.

Tom Barrack, US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria. Photo: AP
Israel

Israel targets ‘terrorist’ in southern Syria; Damascus condemns attack

Tensions between Israel and Syria flared this week after Israel bombed an airbase, a move ‌US special envoy Tom Barrack called ‘unnecessary’.

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United States

Israel and Turkey edge towards a dangerous miscalculation over Syria

Unannounced Israeli jets near the Turkish border could easily have triggered a clash, in a high-stakes ‘warning’ to Ankara.

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Crime

US charges woman with Isis-inspired plot to blow up New York State Capitol

Jessica Bowie allegedly mused about posing as a food delivery driver to plant a bomb and kill senators before fleeing to Syria.

The New York State Capitol building is seen in Albany in June 2023. Photo: AP
Israel

Netanyahu casts Turkey as Israel’s new villain amid tough re-election fight

The Israeli PM has escalated tensions with Turkish President Erdogan over Syria in a bid to ‘unify’ his voter base around him.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election campaign team has put up billboards with images of several leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Tel Aviv. Photo: Reuters
Cambodia

Declining aid threatens landmine clearing efforts in Southeast Asia

Aid cuts and shifting geopolitical priorities leave Cambodian and regional demining groups struggling to remove deadly wartime relics.

Middle East

Syria sentences Assad cousin to death for crimes against humanity

Wassim al-Assad is convicted of multiple murders and ‘murder accompanied by torture and brutality’, says Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan.

Saudi Arabia

Russia’s role in Middle East politics endures, shifts to being ‘secondary power’

Two Russian military bases will remain in Syria as the region continues to recalibrate its relations with major powers amid the Iran war.

A Syrian rebel fighter stands at an inspection checkpoint for incoming vehicles before a Russian flag and Russian soldiers behind manning the entrance of the Russian-leased Syrian military base of Hmeimim in Latakia province in Syria in 2024. Photo: TNS
Middle East

Syria sentences ex-leader Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia

Former Syrian president convicted of murder, torture and crimes against humanity after trial in Damascus following 2024 ousting.

Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad speaks in Damascus in 2023. Assad fled the capital Damascus as rebel fighters ⁠approached nearly two years ago, and is currently in Moscow. Photo: AFP
Iran

Comeback corridor: Syria’s US$216 billion rebuild offers a Hormuz alternative

With US sanctions lifted, Syria is capitalising on the Strait of Hormuz crisis to position itself as a trade and oil bypass.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine blames Russia for deadly strike on Turkish cargo ship

Ukraine’s navy said 6 died when Russia launched cruise missiles at the Golden Leo as it was ‘leaving the combat zone with a cargo of grain’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US and Iran attack infrastructure, raising fears of escalation

Two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after passing through a mined route south of Hormuz, Iranian media reported.

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Footage shows what Iranian state TV says is the aftermath of overnight US strikes on two bridges in Bandar Khamir County, near the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: IRINN via AFP
Middle East

First session of Syria’s parliament convenes after Assad’s ousting

The transitional body is tasked with laying the groundwork for democracy after decades of authoritarian rule and 13 years of civil war.

Middle East

Explosions rock Damascus as France’s Macron visits Syria

Explosions reported near the Four Seasons Hotel, where the French president was meant to ⁠be staying.

Middle East

France’s Macron becomes first Western head of state to visit post-Assad Syria

French president pledges support for a sovereign, peaceful Syria as new authorities seek international legitimacy and reconstruction funds.

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, is welcomed by Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani at Damascus International Airport on Monday. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Trump to meet leaders of Ukraine and Syria at Turkey Nato summit

US president seeks to make headway in addressing two key conflicts as Ankara hosts two-day Nato gathering.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in France. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via AFP
Middle East

Bomb blast at Damascus cafe kills 9 near key government building

Deadliest attack in the Syrian capital since last year’s church bombing targets busy area near the Palace of Justice.

United States

US Supreme Court paves way for Trump’s mass deportation of Haitians, Syrians

Top court rules that the administration can strip protections from some 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians in the US.

Israel

After US-Iran deal, Netanyahu says he will run in coming Israeli elections

‘I am going to run … and intend to win,’ said the Israeli PM, who has come under fire from the opposition over his wartime leadership.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a news conference in Jerusalem on Monday. Photo: EPA
Middle East

Syria says Sharaa holds phone call with Trump

Ahmed al-Sharaa tells the US president that ending economic restrictions is essential to reviving Syria’s economy.

US President Donald Trump and Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House in November 2025. The two leaders spoke by phone on Sunday. Photo: Syrian presidency via AP
Middle East

Israel launches deadly strike near Beirut as it widens offensive in Lebanon

Escalating hostilities in Lebanon strain a fragile ceasefire ahead of crucial negotiations in Washington.

Australia

Islamic State-linked Australian women charged with keeping slave in Syria

The mother and daughter, accused of ‘crimes against humanity’, were arrested in Melbourne after travelling from a Syrian detention camp.

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