TOPIC

/ location

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

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

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.

12 Sep 2026 - 2:08PM

Turkey

Surrounded by war, Turkey more than triples defence spending

11 Sep 2026 - 5:00PM

Middle East

14 killed as explosion rocks Syria arms depot: authorities

10 Sep 2026 - 1:41AM

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.

2 Sep 2026 - 1:59PM

An image released by the Israeli military in 2018 shows the Syrian nuclear facility it attacked in 2007. Photo: IDF via Reuters

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.

25 Aug 2026 - 8:30PM

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.

25 Aug 2026 - 4:19PM

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.

25 Aug 2026 - 1:47PM

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.

24 Aug 2026 - 3:13PM

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.

24 Aug 2026 - 3:44AM

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’.

23 Aug 2026 - 3:31AM

US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack in Antalya, Turkey in April. Photo: Reuters

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.

22 Aug 2026 - 6:00PM

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.

21 Aug 2026 - 7:21AM

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.

20 Aug 2026 - 9:36AM

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.

19 Aug 2026 - 12:35PM

A deminer uses a metal detector to clear a landmine field in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in July. Photo: AP

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.

18 Aug 2026 - 7:45PM

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.

15 Aug 2026 - 1:00PM

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.

11 Aug 2026 - 5:59PM

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.

25 Jul 2026 - 1:30PMvideocam

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’.

20 Jul 2026 - 7:43AMvideocam

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.

18 Jul 2026 - 8:07PMvideocam

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.

12 Jul 2026 - 9:37PM

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa addresses the first meeting of Syria’s new transitional parliament in Damascus on Sunday. Photo: AFP

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.

7 Jul 2026 - 7:08PM

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.

7 Jul 2026 - 11:26AM

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.

6 Jul 2026 - 11:58AM

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.

3 Jul 2026 - 1:57PM

A member of the Syrian security forces keeps watch inside a Damascus cafe following a deadly bomb blast. Photo: dpa

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.

26 Jun 2026 - 1:07PM

Immigration activists rally against the US Supreme Court’s ruling on temporary protective status in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AFP

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.

16 Jun 2026 - 5:34AMvideocam

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.

1 Jun 2026 - 3:38PM

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Syria

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.

Surrounded by war, Turkey more than triples defence spending

14 killed as explosion rocks Syria arms depot: authorities

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.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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