Syria arrivals surge 111% as government bets on tourism revival The country welcomed 3.52 million visitors during the first half of 2026, more than double the figure recorded a year earlier, as the government pushes to reconnect to the world and promote tourism as a pillar of economic recovery. Syria
Syria seizes arms shipment on Iraq border destined for Hezbollah The operation comes as part of the Syrian authorities' efforts to curb illicit arms smuggling through its territory, namely intended for Hezbollah. Lebanon
Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations. Syria
Explainer How Macron seeks to carve out France's role in new Syria French President Emmanuel Macron became the first Western leader to visit Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, showcasing Paris' support for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa while seeking to secure a share of the country's emerging reconstruction market. Syria
US oil company signs deal with Syrian Kurds Sources told Al-Monitor the agreement to market oil in territory controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces was signed “with the knowledge and encouragement of the White House.” Syria
Hezbollah, Israel jostle in Syria, Lebanon Conflict between Israel on the one hand and Iran and Hezbollah on the other have been playing out this month in Syria and Lebanon. Israel
‘I still wake up at night’: Syrian men and transgender rape survivors struggle in Lebanon LGBT survivors of sexual violence told Human Rights Watch that accessing services for their physical and psychological trauma is a challenge in Lebanon. Syria
Rouhani slams US ‘aerial terrorism’ after Iran plane interception The US interception of an Iranian civilian aircraft over Syrian skies has set off yet another escalatory episode in the rivalry between Tehran and Washington over influence in the Middle East. United States
The latest reason Australia won’t take back citizens detained in Syria’s prisons for IS? Coronavirus Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne says COVID-19 has further complicated the possibilities of repatriating Australians captured during the war against the Islamic State in Syria. Syria
Is Turkey headed for compromise or fresh fighting in Idlib? Turkey’s military buildup and efforts to collaborate with the dominant rebel group in Idlib appear to be the harbinger of a fresh war in the region, yet rebel forces suspect that Turkey is willing to concede to Russia. Turkey
First barrel bombs, now coronavirus: doctors in Syria's Idlib hit hard by outbreak Doctors working in already short-staffed hospitals are struggling with a flare-up of new cases in the country's last rebel stronghold. Syria
US woman allegedly sought to join al-Qaeda in Syria The woman's conversations were actually with FBI employees posing as members of the designated terrorist organization. Syria
Iran accuses US fighter aircraft of harassing Iranian airliner over eastern Syria An Iranian broadcaster says an Iran-to-Beirut commercial passenger flight had US jets make an aggressively close pass to it over Syria near the Iraqi border. Syria
Will Syrian rebels kill each other in Libya's proxy war? Syrian mercenaries from that country's civil war could now meet opposite each other in the Libyan conflict, only this time as Wagner Group mercenaries. Syria
Hezbollah says its soldier killed by Israeli airstrike in Syria Hezbollah previously said it would respond to any deadly attacks of its soldiers in Syria by Israel. Lebanon
