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Syria

July 10, 2026

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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.

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.

Explainer

French energy, shipping giants explore Syria deals during Macron visit

The two countries signed preliminary pacts spanning transport, healthcare, banking, infrastructure and development on Tuesday, even as twin explosions in the capital underscored the fragile investment environment.

Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images

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

The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and various regional developments during the first visit by a Western head of state to Syria since the civil war ended.

Latest News

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)

Analysis

How Syria’s wheat fields turned into first battleground over reconstruction

Farmers roast harvested wheat using fire in a field on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, on May 18, 2026.

Haddon Barth

By Haddon Barth

Analysis

Can a UAE-backed Syria-Iraq corridor become Gulf's next trade route?

An aerial view shows port of the western Syrian port city of Latakia, on Dec. 18, 2024.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

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

Afghan refugees walk through a beach where they will wait to board a dinghy sailing off for the Greek island of Chios, while they try to travel from the western Turkish coastal town of Cesme, in Izmir province, Turkey, March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - GF10000335606

Afghans fleeing violence unwelcome in Turkey

Human rights groups warn that thousands of Afghan refugees in Turkey face abuse and deportation as the country focuses on the millions of Syrian asylum-seekers ahead of this summer's vote.

Turkey backs new opposition governance to mend Afrin

A local council in Afrin, Syria, is being formed to help restore the city's services and improve people's quality of life.

Netanyahu's growling at Iran in Syria could put Israelis at risk

Instead of playing with fire in Syria's skies and flexing his muscles at Iran on social media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be seeking a quiet agreement on the disengagement of Iranian and Israeli forces.

Why Israel needs new regional alliances

Facing US intention to withdraw from Syria, Israel must establish new regional alliances.

Russia rotates its Mideast diplomats

Key players involved in the Russian Foreign Ministry's Middle East policy are changing positions, and there will be a new ambassador to Syria; will this also involve policy change?

United Arab Emirates

Stymied in Syria, Turkey quietly ups actions against PKK in Iraq

Turkey has slowed its military operations in Syria and appears to be shifting attention to northern Iraq to intensify operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party.

Syrian students explore college education online

Good universities can be hard to find in a country besieged by war for seven years, so some Syrian students are turning to online schools to pursue their education.

Israeli soldiers stand next to mobile artillery units near the border with Syria in the Golan Heights January 27, 2015. At least two rockets from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday and Israel returned fire, the military said, nine days after an Israeli air strike in Syria killed an Iranian general and several Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (MILITARY POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - GM1EB1S00W201

Is Israel-Iran clash imminent?

A consensus has emerged among Israel’s political and security establishments that a military clash with Iran is likely.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia January 10, 2018. REUTERS/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool? - UP1EE1A1NCZOZ

Iran FM: Trump administration 'never in' nuclear deal

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke about Tehran’s potential response as the United States weighs pulling out of the nuclear deal.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber, being deployed to launch strikes as part of the multinational response to Syria's use of chemical weapons, is refuelled by a KC-135 tanker aircraft over an undisclosed location, April 14, 2018. U.S. Air Force/Handout via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC1C9014E3B0

Strikes on Syria look more like practice than punishment

Moscow and Washington are putting the best possible spin on the results of airstrikes on Syria, each seeking to be seen as the victor.

Trouble brews as militants amass on Turkey's border

With evacuations from eastern Ghouta, the number of jihadis in Syrian territories controlled by Turkey has doubled, yet Turkey appears to be nonchalant regarding this threat.

At 70, Israel sits atop a volcano

Israel’s army holds a definitive advantage over the rest of the region, but the 70-year-old country is confronted by multiple enemies and points of conflict.