Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC
 / location

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
The late-19th century Central Station in Antwerp, Belgium. Photo: Getty Images
Trip Inspiration

Discover Antwerp’s vibrant blend of Flemish art and global cultures

Antwerp may be the cradle of Flemish culture but you do not have to wander far from its spectacular railway station to discover other facets of the city: the dazzling diamond district, Belgium’s only Chinatown and a vibrant mix of multicultural influences.

Iraq

US ends troop mission in Iraq, Baghdad to celebrate Sovereignty Day on October 1

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Summits for all diplomatic seasons: how the US has set the stage for Xi Jinping

videocam
Middle East

Alarm as Syria plans private jet hub on former torture site

Rights groups warn turning Mezzeh airbase into a VIP airport could destroy mass graves and evidence of Assad-era atrocities.

Abandoned tanks are seen parked in an aircraft hangar at a military airport in the suburb of Mezzeh, Syria. Photo: Reuters
Turkey

Surrounded by war, Turkey more than triples defence spending

Most of the 229 per cent budget increase will fund domestic arms production as Ankara seeks to cut reliance on the West.

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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Middle East

UN report confirms Syria was building nuclear reactor during Assad rule

Syria’s Deir el-Zour site bombed by Israel in 2007 was an undeclared nuclear reactor under construction.

An image released by the Israeli military in 2018 shows the Syrian nuclear facility it attacked in 2007. Photo: IDF via Reuters
The Syrian nuclear facility following a 2007 Israeli strike. Photo: US government via AFP
Middle East

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

As security deal shakes up calculations for the US, China and Russia, a regional order shaped by regional states is no longer unthinkable.

6
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.

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.

7
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump meeting in Turkey. Photo: Reuters
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.

An Israeli tank drives along the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
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.

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’.

6
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.

18
An Israeli Air Force F-15D Eagle fighter aircraft. Israel bombed a military airfield in Syria near the Turkish border earlier this week. Photo: AFP
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.

5
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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

Wassim al-Assad is led into a defendant’s cage in the courtroom for his sentencing, at the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus, on Tuesday. Photo: Syrian Arab News Agency / AFP
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.

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.

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.

videocam
US President Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8. Photo: Reuters
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’.

videocam
Smoke rises from the grain carrier Golden Leo under the Guinea-Bissau flag after Russian missile strikes in the the Black Sea close to Odesa, Ukraine on Sunday. Photo: AP
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.

videocam
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.

The scene of explosions in Damascus. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement