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Syria

April 10, 2026

Damascus 2:39 am

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This handout photograph provided by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press service shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) meeting with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) in Damascus on Dec. 22, 2025.

Analysis

How the Iran war can help Syria manage Turkey and its regional rivals

Rising regional tensions and disrupted oil flows are giving Damascus leverage to balance Ankara and other neighbors while exploring alternative energy corridors.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

A member of the Popular Mobilization Forces patrols along a concrete wall at the Iraqi-Syrian border in Al-Qaim, west of Iraq, on Jan. 23, 2026.

Syria reopens key crossing after 11 years, aiding Iraq's oil exports amid war

Iraq and Syria have shown a desire to cooperate on oil exports, and the matter has become more urgent due to the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Sharaa, King Charles

In UK visit, Syria’s Sharaa doubles down on Western ties amid Iran war, refugee pressures

After talks with UK leaders on Tuesday, Syria's president said the country would remain neutral in the Iran conflict unless it was targeted.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa depart after speaking to the media following talks at the Chancellery on March 30, 2026, in Berlin, Germany.

Analysis

Why Germany may struggle to meet Merz’s 80% Syria repatriation goal

Germany, which hosts the EU’s largest Syrian refugee population, is pushing to repatriate Syrians, but Syria’s domestic issues and legal protections for asylum seekers complicate those efforts.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Latest News

Syria sustains drone attack from Iraq, tackles smuggling tunnels on Lebanon border

Members of the Popular Mobilization Units stand guard along the Iraqi-Syrian border in Al-Qaim, west of Iraq, on Jan. 23, 2026.

Syrian authorities restrict alcohol sales in Damascus: What to know

People drink and chat in a bar in the old town in Damascus on June 19, 2025 in Damascus, Syria.

Top Kurdish critic of Damascus named Syria's deputy defense minister

Sipan Hemo

Syria’s Sharaa blasts Iran’s 'destabilizing' role, moves closer to US, Gulf

A boy walks past an unexploded missile that landed in an open field on the outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria, on March 5, 2026.

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

A journalist films the wreckage of a building described as part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) compound in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus, during a press tour organized by the Syrian information ministry, on April 14, 2018.

UN accuses Syria of failing to answer for chemical weapons program

The UN's top disarmament official said Syria's full disclosure was "essential" to resolving outstanding issues.

A fighter from the SDF carries a book on Islamic criminal legislation said to have belonged to the Islamic State, recovered in Baghuz, Syria, on March 13, 2020.

Islamic State ramps up activities in eastern Syria

Islamic State is applying Sharia rules in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor and imposing taxes on residents by force of arms.

Syrian Kurds parade a doll, made of wood and colorful fabric, as they perform the "Bride of the Rain" ritual in the northeast city of Qamishli on Nov. 19, 2021.

Ancient Kurdish rain ritual revived in Syria as drought continues

Kurdish farmers in the countryside of Qamishli revive an ancient ritual called Ziwa, or the Bride of the Rain, to invoke rain after seasons of drought.

Syria fighting

Syrian soldiers killed in deadly Islamic State ambush in Deir Ezzor

The Syrian army loyal to Bashar al-Assad has struggled to control the country's eastern desert.

Oil well pumps are seen in the Rmeilane oil field in Hasakah province, Syria, July 15, 2015.

Islamic State cells impose levy on oil investors in northeastern Syria

Islamic State cells are imposing levies on oil investors who have been contracted to work in oil fields in agreement with the controlling forces in northeastern Syria, as a share of the oil investment in a bid to finance their activities.

Idlib motorcycle

Opposition-led government in Syria's Idlib increases taxes on motorcycles

Civilians in northwest Syria, where motorcycles constitute a common and inexpensive method of transport, are struggling to pay several new taxes imposed by the HTS-led government.

Children are pictured in the northern city of Raqqa, the former Syrian capital of the Islamic State, on Dec. 19, 2021.

Kurdish leaders say poverty 'biggest threat,' driving Syrians into arms of IS

Offers of money by the Islamic State to join its ranks prove "irresistible" to those hit hard by Syria's collapsed economy.

Idlib market

Syrian jihadist group opens food market north of Idlib

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Idlib in northwestern Syria, is supporting development projects in various economic sectors.

Syria badminton

Syrian women and girls in Aleppo find new outlet in sports

Many young women in Afrin, northern Aleppo, which is controlled by the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) are showing great interest in sports, as opposing social customs and traditions begin to fade.

Bishop Ephraim Maalouli (R) speaks at a ceremony, after he was appointed as the new metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox archieparchy of Aleppo and Alexandretta, at Saint Elias Cathedral, Aleppo, Syria, Dec. 10, 2021.

Syrian government loosens travel restrictions on Christian clergy

The Syrian government has waived border fees for Christian church leaders entering the country.

A member of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham holds the group's flag as others parade with their flags and those of the Taliban's declared "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" through the rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria, Aug. 20, 2021.

Syrian jihadi group sees wave of defections in Idlib

Schisms within Hayat Tahrir al-Sham are widening as its leader shifts to convey a moderate image and eliminate more radical rival groups.

A Syrian man holds the Iranian flag as a convoy carrying aid provided by Iran arrives in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, Sept. 20, 2017.

Iran expands economic reach into oil-rich region of Syria

Iran exports to Syria are increasing, a sign of an improving economic relation between the two countries.