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Syria

July 16, 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 bus drives past concrete blocks painted with the Syrian flag near the Central Bank of Syria in Damascus, Syria May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RTX2EZEA

Near Damascus, watch out for missiles, shelling and speeding tickets

In a visit to Damascus, Al-Monitor spoke with Syrian officials about the latest developments happening in Syria.

As external threats recede, Jordan left to face inner demons

Though attacks from across the border with Syria and Iraq are becoming less of a concern, experts say that the political, economic and cultural conditions in Jordan are perfect for home-grown extremism, a risk the government seems reluctant to address.

Can US-backed offensive bring back residents to Syria's Manbij?

The citizens of Manbij, which is northeast of Aleppo, have high hopes of returning to their hometown in light of the US-backed offensive against the Islamic State in their city.

NUSAYBIN, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 25: Residents walk past the trenches of the armed group Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H), a youth division of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, in southeastern Turkish city of Nusaybin on February 25, 2016, Turkey. Since mid-December, the Turkish security forces placed to several predominantly Kurdish cities in Turkey under 24-hour martial law and curfew on the premise of restoring public order. (Photo by Cagdas Erdogan/Getty Images)

Turkey's southeast beginning to resemble Syria

As clashes in Turkey's southeast between government forces and the PKK worsen, some cities mirror the destruction across the border in Syria.

Erdogan links Crusades with present-day terror

Turkey’s president looks to the past, rather than to his own failed policies; Aleppo offensive imminent; is Israel employing a double standard in its dealings with Turkey?

Russian, Syrian defense ministers arrive in Tehran for 'strategic meeting'

The defense ministers of Russia, Syria and Iran met in Tehran to discuss the latest regional developments and methods to "fight terrorism."

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton makes a speech during a campaign stop in Lynwood, California, United States, June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake - RTSGAC9

Will Arab-American voters rally around Clinton?

Arab-Americans tend to vote Democratic in presidential elections, but will the community coalesce around Hillary Clinton despite the attraction of Bernie Sanders’ views on the Middle East?

A Yazidi boy, 16, who was trained by Islamic State, wraps his head in a scarf as he stands by the fence of a playground at a refugee camp near the northern Iraqi city of Duhok April 19, 2016. The stories of boys from the minority Yazidi community now living in a refugee camp near the northern Iraqi city of Duhok appear to show efforts by Islamic State to create a new generation of fighters loyal to the group's ideology and inured to its extreme violence. The training often leaves them scarred, even after re

How this Yazidi man is saving IS captives

Yazidi families in Iraq are paying thousands of dollars to smugglers who rescue their members from the Islamic State’s grip.

Will Afrin be the next Kobani?

Afrin, one of the three cantons of Rojava, strives to provide refuge to its population despite the blockade by Turkey and its allies.

Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front fighters carry weapons on the back of pick-up trucks during the release of Lebanese soldiers and policemen in Arsal, eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, December 1, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX1WPTT

What happened to kidnapped Lebanese soldiers in Arsal?

A Lebanese official told Al-Monitor that the number of Islamic militants in Arsal is steadily declining, and there is talk of the remainder leaving after negotiations.

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) stand near a military vehilce in the southeast of Qamishli city, Syria, April 22, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2B6V0

Turks question loyalties after picture emerges of US soldiers with YPG patches

Recently published photos of US forces wearing YPG insignia have further strained US-Turkish relations and may even offer a recruitment tool for the Islamic State.

Islamist Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra members gesture while posing on a tank on Al-Khazan frontline of Khan Sheikhoun, northern Idlib province May 17, 2014. REUTERS/Hamid Khatib (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST MILITARY POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTR3PM9N

Syrians fight Jabhat al-Nusra with cameras, social media

A group of young Syrians has been documenting and exposing violations and other activities by Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria.