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July 15, 2026

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A man holds a Syrian flag across the street from the White House after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump at White House in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025.

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.

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.

Latest News

US to drop Syria from terror blacklist

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.

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

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

A boy plays with a bicycle past damaged buildings in the rebel held Seif al-Dawla neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria October 6, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail - RTSR2TV

UN Syria envoy: Jabhat al-Nusra holding Aleppo ‘hostage’

De Mistura calls on Jabhat al-Nusra, Russia and Syria to end fighting in Aleppo; why is Erdogan mostly mum on Aleppo?

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan with his wife Emine arrives at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington March 29, 2016 for the Nuclear Security Summit. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas - RTSCR2H

Ankara’s policies in Iraq, Syria perplex US

Turkey's approach to the Aleppo and Mosul issues complicates its relations with the United States.

Men inspect the damage after an airstrike on the rebel held al-Qaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria September 25, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail - RTSPBZ8

What's behind Ankara’s 'deafening silence' on Aleppo?

Reconciliation with Russia is preventing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from blasting away at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as he once did.

A man inspects damage near a hole in the ground after airstrikes on the rebel held al-Ansari neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria October 2, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail - RTSQFXT

US gives up on working with Russia on Syria

The United States announced Oct. 3 it was suspending bilateral engagement with Russia on Syria, saying there was nothing more to talk about as Russia intensified its air attacks on Aleppo.

A Kurdish fighter from the People's Protection Units (YPG) rides on a pick-up truck mounted with an anti-aircraft weapon in the Ghwairan neighborhood of Hasaka, Syria, August 22, 2016. The Arabic on the wall reads, "Bashar al-Assad is the glory and the pride of the nation." REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2MKNY

Turkey-US ties could fray further as Pentagon mulls arming YPG

Already rocky relations between Turkey and the United States are likely to worsen if the White House approves an expected Pentagon request to provide more weapons to the People's Protection Units.

People dig in the rubble in an ongoing search for survivors at a site hit previously by an airstrike in the rebel-held Tariq al-Bab neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, September 26, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail/File Photo - RTSQ0KN

As Aleppo battle rages, citizens suffer from blockade, shelling

Dozens of civilians were killed and wounded in Aleppo after the cease-fire failed and regime forces launched a fierce campaign to recapture the opposition-held neighborhoods in the city.

Syrian opposition leader Ahmad Jarba looks on as he makes a statement after the conclusion of talks on Syria, in Geneva January 31, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX182HC

Unlikely partners join forces to lead by example in Syria

An opposition group known as Syria’s Tomorrow and Kurdish self-rule proponents have forged an agreement they hope will bring other opposition factions together and enlist the support of Arab countries to end the war and build a civil democratic pluralist state.

Stacks of bread are seen at a damaged site after an airstrike in the rebel-held Bab al-Maqam neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria, September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSPSQQ

US threatens to halt talks with Russia on Syria

Washington has threatened to suspend US-Russian engagement on Syria if Moscow does not take immediate steps to halt a Russian-backed Syrian regime assault on rebel-held eastern Aleppo.

Turkish armoured personnel carriers drive towards the border in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX2N8HX

What is Turkey’s military strategy in Syria?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent statement once again revealed that Ankara's priority in Syria is not fighting against the Islamic State, but rather stopping Kurds' advances.

Turkish army soldiers stand guard at their position near the northern Syrian rebel-controlled town of al-Rai, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria, September 27, 2016. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RTSPPGG

Turkey faces decision over boots on the ground in Syria

Turkish media are speculating that the Free Syrian Army militias cannot expel Islamic State from Dabik and al-Bab, so that mission will fall to Turkish infantry.

Syrian children are seen inside an informal settlement for Syrian refugees in Bar Elias, Bekaa valley, Lebanon, January 6, 2016. More than 1 million Syrians are enduring another winter as refugees in Lebanon. For some, it is their fifth in a row, displaced by a war that has driven 4.4 million Syrians into neighbouring states from where many are trying to reach Europe. REUTERS/ Jamal Saidi - RTX21K68

Incitement, tensions rise over Syrian refugees in Lebanon

Controversial statements by Lebanese authorities point to growing frustration over the presence of more than 1 million Syrian refugees in their country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China September 3, 2016. Sputnik/Kremlin/Alexei Druzhinin/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX2NZZP

Foreign policy mishaps prove costly for Turkish contractors

The AKP government’s foreign policy blunders have cost Turkish contractors abroad $16 billion of revenue losses.