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

Palmyra

Syria

April 15, 2026

Damascus 9:54 pm

17°C

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

Turkey-backed Syrian fighters and displaced civilians in Afrin mark 10-year anniversary of Syrian conflict

What lies behind Erdogan’s Syria offer to the West?

The Turkish president’s appeal to the West to back Turkey in Syria and make political gains “at minimum cost” comes as a sign he has little intention of giving up his ambitions in Syria.

An Israeli soldier stands near a parked Merkava Mark IV battle tank near Moshav Alonei HaBashan in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on March 1, 2021. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP) (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

Syria reports new Israeli airstrikes near Damascus

The missile strike follows Israel reportedly hitting Iranian targets in Syria earlier this month following an explosion on an Israeli ship in the gulf.

NGOs file Syria torture complaint against Russia’s Wagner Group

The rights organizations allege that the shadowy paramilitary group is behind the 2017 torture and killing of a Syrian military defector.

A Turkish military tank is seen in a destroyed neighbourhood of Sarmin town, about eight kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria, on March 10, 2020. - When protesters in March 2011 demanded their rights and regime change, they likely never imagined it would trigger a reaction that has led to the 21st century's biggest war. Nine years on, President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and there to stay, more than 380,000 people have died, dozens of towns and cities razed to the ground an

Biden leaves Syria on back burner as war marks 10 years

In his first months in office, President Joe Biden's team has signaled that Syria’s civil war won’t be among his top foreign policy priorities.

The empty seat of Syria is seen during a meeting of foreign ministers at the headquarters of the Arab League in the Egyptian capital Cairo, on March 7, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / KHALED DESOUKI (Photo credit should read KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt, UAE call for rethink of Syria’s expulsion from Arab League

Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are calling for Syria to be accepted back into the Arab League as analysts say that its suspension has done little good.

United Arab Emirates

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks during a media conference after a meeting, Supporting the future of Syria and the Region, in videoconference format at the European Council building in Brussels on June 30, 2020. (Photo by Virginia Mayo / POOL / AFP) (Photo by VIRGINIA MAYO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

EU: No Syria reconstruction aid until Assad leaves

Josep Borrell marked the 10th anniversary of Syria's civil war by doubling down on US-led policy to isolate Assad

Syria war crimes trials can 'reduce the accountability gap,' UN rights chief says

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Germany's recent conviction of a former Syrian regime officer marked an important first step.

Kurdish forces blame Turkey for Euphrates River water drop in northeast Syria

The Syrian Democratic Forces claim Turkey caused a drop in the Euphrates River water level that will harm residents and their economic activities in the areas they control in northern and eastern Syria.

Syria 'a living nightmare' after decade of war, UN chief says

Some 60% of Syrians are at risk of hunger this year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

Why is Syrian military deploying in Kurdish-held areas?

The Syrian government seeks to strengthen its military presence in Ain Issa and the area overlooking the M4 international highway, which are under control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Intel: US hinders Syria’s return ‘to normal,’ UAE foreign minister says

Flanked by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Abu Dhabi's top diplomat criticized the US-led campaign to economically isolate Syria under President Bashar al-Assad.

United Arab Emirates

Syria’s Armenian community resilient, but faces uncertain future

Syrian Armenians, despite the fragility of their presence in the region, are determined to stay and rebuild.