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July 12, 2026

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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) welcomes France's President Emmanuel Macron for a joint press conference in Damascus on July 7, 2026.

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.

US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, on July 8, 2026.

US to drop Syria from terror blacklist

The terrorism label remained a key obstacle to Syria's postwar reconstruction.

Latest News

Explainer

French energy, shipping giants explore Syria deals during Macron visit

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shakes hands with France's President Emmanuel Macron following a joint press conference in Damascus on July 7, 2026.

Macron's Syria visit eyes to boost France's economic role: What to know

Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images

Two explosions hit Damascus as Macron visits Syria

Security personnel and first responders prepare to cordon off an area near the Four Seasons Hotel following two blasts nearby in Damascus on July 7, 2026. Syrian authorities said 18 people were wounded by two blasts in central Damascus on July 7 near the hotel where France's president spent the night, with the Elysee Palace saying his visit is ongoing. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP via Getty Images)

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

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson steps off his plane as he arrives at the presidential hangar in Mexico City, Mexico, February 1, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero - RC1A25512B30

Tillerson travels to Middle East to talk post-IS stability

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey next week. But veteran diplomats warn that US goals for Syria need to be scaled back.

France’s 'diplomatic signaling' on Syria

A recent Paris meeting on chemical weapons signaled a French attempt to regain a diplomatic foothold in Syria, but also acknowledged Russia as the main arbiter of the Syrian crisis.

US maintains mystery about long-term intentions in Syria

Remember that "border force" the US said it was, and then wasn't, forming in Syria? Apparently, it's already there.

Turkish forces and Free Syrian Army members are seen on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 28, 2018. REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi - RC12885992C0

Erdogan escalates threats to attack Manbij

Turkey’s president has promised to widen Turkey’s military offensive in Syria despite US warnings, insisting that the Americans haven't kept their agreement to get the Kurdish militants to withdraw from Manbij.

Turkish voices increasingly calling for dialogue with Assad

Developments in Syria could force Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to swallow his antipathy to President Bashar al-Assad and establish some level of contact with him, as a growing number of Turks believe.

Syrian men work on reconstructing a damaged building in the northern Syrian city of Raqa, on January 16, 2018 after a huge military operation led on the ground by Kurdish fighters and in the air by US warplanes defeated jihadists from the Islamic State group but also left the city completely disfigured.
Once home to around 300,000 people, Raqa's neighbourhoods were empty when it was declared retaken in mid-October. Three months on, despite the lack of infrastructure and the lingering threat of unexploded mi

Assad, Turkey hamper US assistance for Syria

The Assad regime’s territorial gains and the Turkish offensive in Afrin are conspiring to keep the world’s largest aid donor on the sidelines.

Ankara eyes next options in Afrin offensive

Indications from Ankara and the battlefield suggest Ankara is opting for urban warfare instead of a long siege on Afrin in Syria.

A picture taken on February 3, 2018, shows smoke billowing from the site of a downed Sukhoi-25 fighter jet in Syria's northwest province of Idlib.
Rebel fighters shot down a Russian plane over Syria's northwest Idlib province and captured its pilot, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
/ AFP PHOTO / OMAR HAJ KADOUR / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [in Syria's northwest province of Idlib.

Russia's retaliation for downed jet has just begun

Many questions are being raised about the Russian jet shot down Saturday over Idlib, Syria, and Russia is investigating to find out who actually did the shooting and who supplied the weapons.

Smoke rises from an emergency service point after an airstrike at the rebel-held village of Maar Zita in Idlib province, Syria April 27, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah - RC124087CB50

Syrian regime, allies step up Idlib offensive

The Syrian regime and its allies have intensified the air and ground campaign in Idlib province, creating a level of destruction reminiscent of the battle for Aleppo.

Sochi conference casualty of Turkey’s military offensive in Syria

Syrian opposition meeting reveals extent — and limits — of Russian-Turkish collaboration.

Participants attend a session of the Syrian Congress of National Dialogue in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia January 30, 2018. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - HP1EE1U11DHOT

Sochi summit exposes limitations of Moscow's Syria policy

The Sochi meeting was crippled from the very beginning because of Turkey's military offensive in Afrin and the alienation of the Kurds.

Turkish soldiers stand near armoured vehicles as a man waves a Turkish national flag during a demonstration in support of the Turkish army's Idlib operation near the Turkey-Syria border near Reyhanli, Hatay, on October 10, 2017.
The Turkish army has launched a reconnaissance mission in Syria's largely jihadist-controlled northwestern Idlib province in a bid to create a de-escalation zone, the military said on October 9. / AFP PHOTO / ILYAS AKENGIN (Photo credit should read ILYAS AKENGIN/AFP/Getty Im

Turkey tackles 2 roles in Syria: peacemaker, provocateur

While laying waste to Kurdish villages in Afrin, Turkey is also positioning itself as a shield between the Syrian army and opposition forces.