Syria arrivals surge 111% as government bets on tourism revival The country welcomed 3.52 million visitors during the first half of 2026, more than double the figure recorded a year earlier, as the government pushes to reconnect to the world and promote tourism as a pillar of economic recovery. Syria
Syria seizes arms shipment on Iraq border destined for Hezbollah The operation comes as part of the Syrian authorities' efforts to curb illicit arms smuggling through its territory, namely intended for Hezbollah. Lebanon
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near Tehran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Kremlin confirms S-400 talks with Turkey By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran hits Gulf, warns Hormuz will reopen on its terms By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Lebanon Stability Depends On Iran-Saudi Entente The warming trends in US-Russia and US-Iran ties may or may not benefit Lebanon, unless Iran and Saudi Arabia end their sectarian regional policies. Saudi Arabia
Is Iran Changing Its Policies In Syria, Lebanon? While eyes are on the Oct. 15-16 nuclear talks in Geneva, Iranian policies in Lebanon and Syria may already be showing a more moderate trend under President Hassan Rouhani. Lebanon
Syria’s Kurds Divided Over Geneva II Conference Syria’s Kurdish parties consider whether to be represented independently or as part of the Syrian National Coalition. Syria
Syrian Kurdish Leader Urges Turkey To End Support for Salafists Saleh Muslim, co-chairman of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, had messages for Ankara in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor. Syria
Rabinovitch Says Israel Benefits From US-Russia Deal on Syria Former Israeli ambassador to the US, Itamar Rabinovich, says Israel benefited from the chemical weapons agreement with Syria, but warns of a weakening US position relative to Russia in the region. Israel
Prison Break, Suicide, Bombing Rock Iraqi Kurdistan The Kurdistan Region of Iraq deals with the implications of its first terrorist attack in six years. Iraq
Golan Heights Students Return To Syria Despite War Despite the war in Syria, some students from the Golan Heights are still crossing back into Syria to continue their university studies. Israel
Erdogan's Frustration Shows Over Syria Deal The Turkish prime minister is questioning John Kerry's praise of Syria’s compliance to date with UN Security Council Resolution 2118. Syria
Natural Gas Resources May Be Backstory in Syria War The Syria war, like many of the region's other conflicts, has an important oil and gas angle. Lebanon
Displaced Syrians Shed Light On Lebanon’s Internally Displaced The continuous flow of displaced Syrians into Lebanon throughout the civil war has served to bring attention to internally displaced Lebanese citizens, who lead similarly disaffected lives. Lebanon
Kurdish Groups Take Control In Northeast Syria Kurdish autonomy in north-east Syria will struggle if Syria’s Kurdish forces do not reach an understanding with local Arab residents. Syria
Assad Warns Erdogan On Turkey’s Syria Policy Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s latest interview reveals again the deep personal enmity between him and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Syria
