Syria - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Palmyra

Syria

September 18, 2026

Damascus 7:35 am

26°C

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Former Assad official sentenced to 60 years in US for torture

Samir Ousman Alsheikh was convicted by a jury in March of three counts of torture, one count of conspiracy to commit torture, visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud.

Assala Nasri (C) attends the 2025 Joy Awards at The Venue, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 18, 2025.

Culture

Syrian singer Assala returns to Damascus stage after 15-year exile

The Syrian star, one of the Arab world’s most famous artists, had been in self-exile since 2011 after she openly supported the uprising against the since-ousted Assad government.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, Sept. 15, 2026.

Syria’s Sharaa talks economic ties with UAE leader: What to know

The UAE is moving to boost trade and investment ties with Syria amid the conflicts in the region and following initial caution in its dealings with Damascus.

Bakr ALkasem / AFP via Getty Images

Fuel price protests in Syria continue for second day: What to know

The Syrian government hiked fuel prices by more than 28%, prompting massive protests across at least eight provinces.

Latest News

UN watchdog formally ends probe into Assad-era nuclear sites

Two women stand before graffiti on the cemetery wall for victims of the chemical massacre, on Aug. 21, 2025 in Zamalka, Syria.

Syria destroys 42 bombs in chemical stockpile purge: What to know

Ali Haj Suleiman/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

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting at the G8 Summit at Lough Erne in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland June 17, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (NORTHERN IRELAND - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX10R95

Conditions for Takeoff for Geneva II

Russia and the United States must reach an understanding to set Geneva II up for success.

A Kurdish fighter from the Popular Protection Units (YPG) holds his weapon as he takes position atop a building with a YPG flag in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood, June 7, 2013. Kurdish fighters from the YPG joined the Free Syrian Army to fight against forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. Picture taken June 7, 2013. REUTERS/Muzaffar Salman (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTX10USX

Syriac Christians, Kurds Boost Cooperation in Syria

A shared desire to remain neutral in Syria links the political parties of the Assyrian Christian and Kurdish minorities despite government encouragement of sectarian security branches.

Hezbollah Keen on Hamas Alliance Despite Criticism

Hezbollah seeks to repair ties with Hamas which have been strained over Syria.

Syrian detainees, who were arrested over participation in the protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime,are seen walking at the Damascus police leadership building to sign their release papers July 11, 2012. The Syrian government said it had released a total of 275 prisoners, who had not been involved in homicide. A portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen at right. REUTERS/Khaled al- Hariri (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CRIME LAW) - RTR34TZJ

Inside Syria's Gulag

An exclusive firsthand account from a Syrian who was detained in a state prison in Aleppo.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold a joint news conference in the White House Rose Garden in Washington, May 16, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZPGI

Washington's Misguided Syria Morality Play

The United States can't seem to either escape or learn from its experiences in Iraq when dealing with Syria.

Turkey Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is pictured after his speech during conference in Ankara, June 18, 2013. Police raided addresses across Turkey on Tuesday and detained dozens of people in an operation linked to three weeks of often violent protests against Erdogan. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10S0B

Most Turks Do Not Support Erdogan's Syria Policy

According to a recent poll, only 27.4% of Turks support their prime minister's Syria policies.

Lebanon's Hezbollah Leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (center, L) meets with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (center, R) in Beirut in this photo released in July 12, 2010. Hamas leader Meshaal visited Lebanon to pay his condolences for Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah who died last week. REUTERS/Lebanon's Hezbollah Media office/Handout (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS OBITUARY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - RTR2GCPX

No Improvement in Sight For Hamas, Hezbollah Ties

Hamas and Hezbollah are continuing on divergent paths concerning Syria, and the relationship will remain strained for the foreseeable future.

A fighter from Islamist Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra runs with his weapon as their base is shelled in Raqqa province, eastern Syria, March 14, 2013. REUTERS/Hamid Khatib (SYRIA - Tags: CONFLICT POLITICS) - RTR3EZGW

Bahraini Salafists in Spotlight

The recent deaths of Bahraini jihadists in Syria point to the rise of radical Salafism in Bahrain.

Lebanon's Hezbollah supporters wave Palestinian and Hezbollah flags during a demonstration, organised by Lebanese and Palestinian factions, against Israel's military operation in Gaza, in front of the U.N. headquarters in Beirut November 17, 2012. Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas government buildings in Gaza on Saturday, including the prime minister's office, after Israel's cabinet authorised the mobilisation of up to 75,000 reservists, preparing for a possible ground invasion. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi (LEBANON - T

Hamas, Hezbollah Reportedly Seek To Cool Tensions

Hamas sought an urgent meeting with Hezbollah to ease tensions after accusations that Palestinians affiliated with Hamas had fought alongside Syrian rebels in Qusair.

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is projected on a screen during a live broadcast as he speaks to his supporters at an event marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Al-Nour radio station, which is operated by the Hezbollah in Beirut, May 9, 2013. REUTERS/Sharif Karim (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS MEDIA ANNIVERSARY) - RTXZGEC

Exclusive: I Saw Nasrallah in Qusair

The Hezbollah secretary-general’s mysterious visit to Qusair may not have been his first.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.

A member of the Revolutionary Guard Colonel Hamid Ahmadi speaks with journalists about military operations against PJAK (Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan) during a news conference in Tehran August 17, 2011. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTR2Q0QK

Iranian Kurdish Struggle Linked to Turkey, Syria

Iran is not admitting that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps units are operating in Syria.

Peacekeeping troops from the unarmed United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (R) (UNTSO) and the UN Disengagement Observer Force (L) (UNDOF) stand on an observation tower located on the Israeli side of the 1973 Golan Heights ceasefire line with Syria March 21, 2012. Blue-helmeted United Nations peacekeeping troops patrolling a slice of Syrian territory to maintain a ceasefire with Israel face new risks as violence between Syrian government loyalists and rebels gets closer. Picture taken March 21, 2012

Is Israel Considering Participation By Russia in UNDOF?

If true, it raises many questions about the shifting regional balance of forces.