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Syria

June 16, 2026

Damascus 7:51 am

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This photo illustration taken in Damascus on May 20, 2026, shows the X account of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on a smartphone displaying his tweet to President Donald Trump.

Syria reports sabotage of undersea internet cable between Tartous and Alexandria: What to know

The affected cable connects Syria to Egypt and is one of four cables that link to the coastal city of Tartous.

A general view shows the Awad oil field in the eastern Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, on February 9, 2026. (Photo by Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Exclusive

US firm HKN Energy takes over 7 oil fields from Syria's Kurds

HKN Energy has begun operating seven oil fields under a 25-year agreement with Damascus, marking the first major production-sharing deal between Syria's new government and an international oil company.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Turkish House in New York on Sept. 19, 2023.

Analysis

Erdogan-Netanyahu war of words signals deeper rivalry for regional influence

The latest Erdogan-Netanyahu clash underscored how Turkey-Israel tensions have grown beyond the Palestinian issue and into a wider regional rivalry spanning Syria, Lebanon, Iran and the eastern Mediterranean.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Russia in talks on 'reformatting' its military sites in Syria: What to know

AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images

Syria says Iraqi oil shipments surge as Damascus courts foreign energy investment

A long convoys of Iraqi diesel-laden tanker trucks line up along the highway Tartus-Baniyas highway as they wait to unload their cargo at the Baniyas port refinery on the Mediterranean Sea, on April 15, 2026.

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 sailor looks at the Russian missile cruiser Moskva moored in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol in this May 10, 2013 file photo. Russia is sending two warships to the east Mediterranean, Interfax news agency said on August 29, 2013, but Moscow denied this meant it was beefing up its naval force there as Western powers prepare for military action against Syria. Picture taken May 10, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer (UKRAINE - Tags: MILITARY POLITICS MARITIME CONFLICT) - RTX130BI

Russia's expanding military presence in Syria

Russia is apparently establishing its first air base in the Middle East, at Jableh, Syria, a move that would change the rules of the game in the region.

Protesters destroy Hafez al-Assad statue in Suwayda

The residents of the Syrian city of Suwayda took to the street in peaceful demonstrations in early September to voice their opposition to the rampant corruption and bad living conditions in the city.

An Israeli worker repairs a fence damaged by a tank in Kibbutz Nahal Oz , just outside the northern Gaza Strip, September 3, 2014. Israelis living on the Gaza border have warily returned home after fleeing constant mortar and rocket fire during a seven-week war, feeling it is just a matter of time before their villages are targeted again. Picture taken September 3, 2014. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY CONFLICT) - RTR44YGI

Israel, the fortress

When Israel completes the construction of its eastern fence, it could finally declare itself a well-fortified stronghold in the heart of the Middle Eastern jungle.

Is Hezbollah looking to restore its image through the West Bank?

In light of allegations about the discovery of Hezbollah-affiliated armed cells in the West Bank, some sources say that Hezbollah might be seeking to regain the popularity it lost when it got involved in the Syrian war by militarily supporting Palestinians in their fight against Israel.

A Syrian refugee carries two children moments after arriving on a dinghy on the Greek island of Lesbos, September 8, 2015. Greece asked the European Union for aid to prevent it being overwhelmed by refugees, as a minister said arrivals on Lesbos had swollen to three times as many as the island could handle. REUTERS/Dimitris Michalakis - RTX1RPL9

US unlikely to take more Syrian refugees

While the United States has taken only 1,500 Syrian refugees so far, Americans moved by the drowning death of a Syrian toddler and other scenes of misery among migrants are opening their wallets and contributing more to aid agencies.

Smoke raises behind an Islamic State flag after Iraqi security forces and Shiite fighters took control of Saadiya in Diyala province from Islamist State militants, November 24, 2014. Iraqi forces said on Sunday they retook two towns north of Baghdad from Islamic State fighters, driving them from strongholds they had held for months and clearing a main road from the capital to Iran. There was no independent confirmation that the army, Shi'ite militia and Kurdish peshmerga forces had completely retaken Jalawl

How the Islamic State has helped the Middle East

The expansion of the Islamic State has forced regional powers to cooperate and is in fact strengthening state governance in the Middle East.

Syrians turn to virtual health clinic for medical help

An online clinic founded by Syrian activists provides diagnoses and advice to Syrians unable to access medical assistance because of the war.

Syria diplomacy 'stuck'

Hopes of the United States, Europe and Russia to try to ramp up Syria diplomacy in the wake of the Iran nuclear deal have stalled amid Saudi reluctance, and there has been no breakthrough after the flurry of recent diplomatic contacts between Washington, Moscow and Riyadh.

Iranian deputy foreign minister reasserts leadership on Syria, confidence in Hezbollah

During a visit to Beirut, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian discussed Lebanese presidential elections and pressing regional issues, including relations between Washington, Riyadh and Moscow concerning Syria and the nuclear agreement.

Netanyahu is all talk and no action when it comes to helping refugees, asylum seekers

In reaction to the flow of Syrian refugees, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks about “empathy for a human tragedy,” but when it comes to actions, as in the case of the Gaza Strip or the asylum seekers from Africa, he turns his back.

The new pulse of Gulf security

The Iran nuclear deal and the summit between US President Barack Obama and Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud could signal a turning point in Gulf security.

Will King Salman’s visit to Washington reset US-Saudi relations?

The joint statement released following King Salman's meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama Sept. 4 indicates that they discussed the region's most pressing issues including the Iran nuclear deal, the Syrian civil war, the fight against the Islamic State and the war in Yemen.