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Syria

June 19, 2025

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TO GO WITH STORY BY NATACHA YAZBECK (FILES) A picture dated June 13, 2003 shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher (L) attending their father's funeral in Damascus on June 13, 2000. As Bashar al-Assad's regime fights to stay in power, one man has emerged as the symbol of the dynasty's brutal military might -- the president's feared younger brother Maher. AFP PHOTO/RAMZI HAIDAR / AFP PHOTO / RAMZI HAIDAR (Photo credit should read RAMZI HAIDAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Was Maher al-Assad, brother of ousted Syrian president, spotted in Moscow?

Maher al-Assad is wanted for war crimes and reportedly fled to Russia by way of Iraq as rebel forces took over Syria.

A US soldier keeps watch during a patrol in Syria's northeastern city Qamishli, in the Hasakeh province, mostly controlled by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Jan. 9, 2025.

Exclusive

US troops in Syria's Kurdish northeast will remain in single base near Rmeilan oil fields

The consolidation comes as tensions rise between Iran and Israel, heightening risks for remaining US forces.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Members of Turkish Police Special Forces secure the area near the Interior Ministry on Oct. 1, 2023.

Turkey detains dozens of ISIS suspects in raids tied to Syria-based network

A nationwide sweep targeted the group's financial and propaganda networks as Ankara steps up efforts to counter the jihadi extremist group in Syria.

Cryptocurrency giant Binance opens trading access to Syria: What to know

Binance’s announcement comes after the United States and the European Union lifted most economic sanctions on Syria last month.

Latest News

Syria mandates burkinis for women at public beaches: What to know

A Tunisian woman wearing a "burkini", a full-body swimsuit designed for Muslim women, walks in the water with a child on August 16, 2016 at Ghar El Melh beach near Bizerte, north-east of the capital Tunis. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP) (Photo by FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

US believes Syria’s Sharaa at risk of assassination, Trump envoy says

US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack meets Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa in Damascus, on May 29, 2025.

Tom Barrack

Tom Barrack

US special envoy for Syria

UAE’s Al Habtoor Group to send business delegation to Syria: What to know

Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor, Chairman of the al-Habtoor Group, attending the World Premiere of La Perle in Dubai

What to know about 1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb uncovered in Syria

tomb

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jared Szuba

Pentagon 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

SYRIA - MARCH 7: Fighters with the new Syrian government drive between Tartus and Latakia on March 7, 2025 on the road between Tartus and Latakia, Syria. Dozens of people have been killed in clashes between loyalists of the deposed Assad regime and forces of the country's new rulers. It is the heaviest such fighting since Syrian rebels toppled the Assad regime last December. (Photo by Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)

Analysis

Deadliest Syria clashes since Assad's fall test Sharaa, outside support

Experts told Al-Monitor that the clashes pose a significant challenge to Sharaa and could further deepen Washington’s uncertainty on how to engage with Damascus.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

People gather to celebrate an iftar meal organized by a humanitarian organization, as they break their fast on March 4, 2025, amid the ruins of the Qaboun neighborhood of Damascus, Syria.

Feature

Syria’s post-Assad economy falters as US stalls on sanctions relief

Three months after Syria's rebel takeover, all eyes are on Ahmed al-Sharaa and whether he can stabilize the economy as promised.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Israeli tank enters Syria buffer zone

Turkey accuses Israel of destabilizing region by driving wedge in Syria

Israel’s actions toward Syria's new interim regime risk fomenting further instability in the region, a Turkish official told Al-Monitor.

A picture taken during a tour organized by the Jordanian Army shows soldiers patrolling along the border with Syria to prevent trafficking, on Feb. 17, 2022.

Four accused smugglers killed on Jordan-Syria border: What we know

Jordan’s border forces killed four drug smugglers attempting to cross from Syria, seizing weapons and narcotics in the latest crackdown on smuggling along the border.

Syrian central bank

UK removes 24 Syrian entities from sanctions list, including central bank

The latest decision comes after the European Union lifted several sanctions across banking and energy on Syria on Feb. 24.

A monument with the emblem of the Syrian government stands in front of a government building in Damascus.

New Iran-backed group wants to fight plans to 'divide' Syria: What to know

A newly formed armed Syrian group called the Islamic Resistance Front in Syria, pledged to counter efforts by the United States, Israel and Turkey to divide the country following the fall of Assad.

Ultraorthodox Jewish men speak to soldiers standing on an armored personnel carrier in the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and Syria, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, Feb. 27, 2025.

Analysis

As it courts Syria's Druze, will Israel counter Turkey or get cold shoulder?

Concerned over the growing influence of Turkey in Syria, Israel seeks ways to increase its own influence there, including renewing its partnership with the Druze.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Israeli tanks take position near the fence with the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from the rest of Syria near the Druze village of Majdal Shams on Dec. 8, 2024.

Israel carries out fresh strikes in northwest Syria: What to know

Following last week’s strikes just south of Damascus, Israel’s military said it conducted another round of strikes on Monday on military targets in northwestern Syria.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a joint press conference with Syria's Foreign Minister during a joint press conference, in Ankara on January 15, 2025. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

In rare rebuke of Iran, Turkey's Fidan calls its proxy strategy 'heavy burden'

The top Turkish diplomat criticized Iran's regional strategy and warned against aligning with Kurdish-led forces in Syria.

SHADI AL-DUBAISI/AFP via Getty Images

Canceled Syrian justice workshop sparks repression fears: What to know

Syrian civil society organizations condemned the sudden cancelation of a planned workshop on transitional justice in Damascus, calling it an act of oppression reminiscent of the Assad era.

church

Feature

Christians in Syria hopeful but wary of Sharaa’s intentions

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has sought to reassure minorities their rights will be protected under the new government. But not all Christians are convinced by his message of inclusivity.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

King Abdullah and Sharaa

Jordan’s king hosts Sharaa amid Israeli escalation in Syria

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Jordan on Wednesday, his third foreign visit since taking office, while Israeli airstrikes targeted military positions in Syria.