Syria - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Palmyra

Syria

June 29, 2026

Damascus 11:52 am

34°C

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Supreme Court backs Trump move to end Syrians’ deportation protections

The decision affects some 6,100 Syrians who live in the United States.

Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Syria’s energy push could soon get a major boost from Chevron: What to know

The country's leaders are seeking to translate a flurry of oil and gas agreements into concrete investments and rebuild an industry devastated by more than a decade of war, sanctions and isolation.

Defendant Wassim al-Assad appears before the Fourth Criminal Court during the opening session of his trial in Damascus on June 24, 2026.

Syria opens trial of Wassim al-Assad, cousin of ousted president: What we know

The trial follows another session in the case against Atef Najib, also a cousin of former President Bashar al-Assad, as Syrian authorities continue prosecuting figures linked to the former regime and its remnants.

Latest News

Syria announces direct flights to Amsterdam as Europe links expand

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Syria’s Sharaa says he had ‘multiple discussions’ with Trump on Lebanon, favors dialogue

US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Oval Office, Washington, DC, Nov. 10, 2025.

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Danny Makki

In London, reporting on Syrian politics and culture

Ali Hashem

In Doha, reporting on Iran, regional politics, conflict

Cagatay Cebe

In Istanbul, reporting on security and counterterrorism

Members of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army wave on top of a vehicle as they drive back to their base camp, Akcakale, Turkey, Oct. 16, 2019.

Turkish army coordinates with Syrian proxy forces ahead of possible military action

Turkish military reinforcements pour into the frontlines with the Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, as Turkish-backed FSA factions stand on alert ahead of an imminent battle.

Syria woman

Syrian jihadist faction establishes 'Women's Preaching Group' in Idlib

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Syria’s Idlib province, is using women’s organizations and institutes to tighten its grip on civil society and expand its public base, despite its multiple violations against women.

KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images

Hopes dim in stranded Syrian camp near US military base

Some 10,000 displaced Syrians living in a squalid camp miles away from the American garrison of al-Tanf had hoped the Biden administration would resolve their plight.

A teacher helps a child during the first day of school in a village in the countryside of Syria's northwestern Idlib province on Oct. 9, 2021.

Syrian teachers demand better salaries in rebel-held areas

Teachers have been protesting in the areas controlled by the Turkish-backed Syrian opposition in northwestern Aleppo, as they demand an increase in their monthly salaries amid the crumbling Turkish lira.

Syrian government forces patrol the northern town of Tel Rifaat, Syria, March 28, 2018.

Syrian government forces deploy in response to Turkish threat

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces are sending military reinforcements to Tel Rifaat to confront any possible military operation that the Turkish army and the Turkish-backed Free Syria Army may launch.

Turkish-backed Syrian fighters of the Sultan Murad Turkoman brigade.

Turkish-backed factions outmaneuver Syrian jihadist group in Idlib

The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army in north Syria announced a series of mergers recently, derailing plans by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to seek rapprochement with some of the factions affiliated with the Syrian National Army.

Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces gather in the village of Susah in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, near the Syrian border with Iraq, Sept. 13, 2018.

Iran’s new brigade infiltrates tribes in east Syria

Iran is working on controlling and infiltrating the Syrian community by supporting local leaders affiliated with it, forming tribal councils and appointing new sheikhs from small clans and families to spread Shiism in its areas of control in east Syria.

LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish-backed Syrian groups pursue drug operations in Aleppo

The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army is reportedly cracking down on drug dealers in the Aleppo countryside.

Syria Pedersen

'Big disappointment': Syrian constitutional negotiations fail again

UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen said the Syrian government's side did not present a new proposal as previously agreed.

A member of security of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard in the countryside of the Hasakah province, on June 27, 2020.

Turkey tells Syrian opposition forces to increase military readiness

The timing and extent of the anticipated operation against Syrian Kurdish forces are still uncertain and will likely depend on Ankara’s weighing of tradeoffs with Washington and Moscow.

Gasoline prices are displayed in Turkish lira at a gas station in the town of Sarmada in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, on June 15, 2020.

Protests break out in Syrian city controlled by jihadist faction

Protests erupted in Idlib against the Syrian Salvation Government, affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, amid high inflation and deteriorating living conditions.

Syria US soldier

US base in Syria hit in suspected drone attack

The remote Tanf outpost has been quiet for years, but Iran's pinprick provocations may once again be targeting the base, which plays a key role in Washington’s effort to obstruct Tehran's influence.