France arrests 'Syrian asylum seeker' in Annecy stabbing attack

French authorities are still investigating whether the attack this morning at a park in the southeastern French town was a terror act or not.

Syria

US unveils Caesar sanctions on Syrian money service businesses

The sanctions targeting a pair of money service businesses are the administration’s second use of the bipartisan Caesar Act.

Syria

US readies strategy to target Syria’s Captagon trade

In the coming weeks, the Biden administration will submit to Congress an interagency plan to tackle the Syrian regime's multi-billion-dollar drug business.

Syria

Syria's Assad accuses France of 'hysteria' for calling to put him on trial

Damascus is furious after French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said she thinks Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should stand trial for his role in the Syrian war.

Syria

Syrian girls play soccer among ghosts of Islamic State

Raqqa's first-ever girls' soccer team is blooming where Islamic State once terrorized the society.

Syria

Turkey Elections: Runoff becomes tug of war over Syrian refugees

As Turkey heads for its presidential runoff, the opposition and the government are in a race to send Syrians and other refugees back home in an effort to woo nationalist voters.

Turkey

Intra-Kurdish tensions paralyze northeast Syria’s main border crossing

Northeast Syria’s only external border crossing closed abruptly May 17 for an unknown period, disrupting trade, medical corridors and humanitarian access to the area.

Syria

Qatar emir skips Assad's Arab League speech in Saudi Arabia

The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt publicly praised Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s participation in the summit after Syria was readmitted to the Arab League.

Legacy: Gulf

LISTEN: Syrian Kurdish leader says Assad's return to Arab League welcome, but won't amount to much

Co-chairman of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) Salih Muslim speaks to Amberin Zaman for "On the Middle East" podcast about the latest efforts to re-integrate Damascus into the Arab fold and what that means for Syria's Kurds.

Syria

Syria's Assad lands in Saudi Arabia seeking financial incentives at Arab summit

Robert Ford, the last US ambassador to Syria, said the Jeddah summit will likely end with “nice promises” in front of the cameras but a different outcome in reality as normalization with Assad, overriding sanctions and the return of refugees face mounting hurdles.

Saudi Arabia

Analysis

Assad’s comeback and the Erdogan suspense

Having been rehabilitated by the Arab League, the Syrian president is poised to wield influence in post-election Turkey, regardless of who wins.

By Gilles Kepel

US lawmakers unveil bill targeting normalization of Syria’s Assad

The legislation would expand the list of sanctionable targets under the Caesar Act and require an interagency report on the administration's counter-normalization strategy.

Syria