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Syria

April 7, 2026

Damascus 8:58 am

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan walks alongside his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Shibani, as he arrives in Damascus, April 5, 2026.

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

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Syria's Assad 'wins big' in UN deal reviving aid to rebel-held northwest

Aid deliveries will resume to opposition-held northwestern Syria after the United Nations and the Syrian government suddenly agreed to revive the humanitarian pipeline for six months.

A clerk inspects the cargo of a truck among a convoy carrying tent and shelter kits.

US sanctions exemption for earthquake relief to Syria expires

The Treasury announcement came as the Syrian government reauthorized the UN's use of two border crossings to deliver aid.

GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP via Getty Images

Islamic State attack in Raqqa kills 10 Syrian soldiers, second in a week

IS militants attacked several positions and checkpoints of the Syrian government and allied fighters in the group’s former stronghold of Raqqa.

Turkey drone

Turkey conducts drone strike against Kurdish forces in Syria

Turkey is escalating its attacks on the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Meanwhile, another Islamic State leader has been confirmed dead in the country.

Grain is loaded aboard a cargo ship at the Azov Sea Port, Rostov region, on July 22, 2023. On July 21, 2023, Russia said that it understood the concerns African nations may have after Moscow left the Ukrainian grain deal, promising to ensure deliveries to countries in need. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP) (Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

Blinken to Russia: Stop using food as 'weapon of war' in Ukraine, Syria

Wheat prices in the Middle East have risen since Russia's abandonment of the grain deal last month.

Syria aid

How Syria's Assad is using aid access to hasten normalization

Experts say Syria's proposal to coordinate UN aid delivery is an attempt to cast itself as a constructive partner at a time when the region is bringing Bashar al-Assad in from the cold.

ZAID AL-OBEIDI/AFP via Getty Images

Islamic State attack in Syria targets oil convoy, kills 5 soldiers: Monitor

Islamic State sleeper cells have regularly attacked government forces in central and eastern Syria despite losing the last of their territory in 2019.

Relatives mourn over the caskets of 11 people killed in Turkish airstrikes.

US, Russia mum as Turkey escalates attacks against Kurdish groups in Syria, Iraq

Both the White House and the State Department remain silent as Turkey's military campaign against the PKK continues "full blast."

US Defense Department European Command via Getty Images

Russian fighter jet damages US drone over Syria

US military officials say they don't quite know why Russian aircraft keep harassing US drones over Syria, but they're continuing to explore options to protect them.

Lebanese Hezbollah fighters take part in cross-border raids.

Casualties in Syria after suspected Israeli airstrike

The strikes occurred at a time of significant tension along the Israel-Lebanon border and in the West Bank.

US soldiers in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) patrol the countryside of al-Malikiya town (Derik in Kurdish) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province July 17, 2023. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by

Top US general pumps brakes on sending more forces to confront Russia in Syria

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley suggested there's little the US can do to stop Russian fighter pilots' free rein over Syria's skies but warned American forces will defend themselves if they detect "hostile intent."

In this handout image released by the South Korean Defense Ministry, a South Korean Air Force F-35A fighter jet takes off from the runway during the "Vigilant Storm" U.S.-South Korea joint aerial drill at Gunsan Air Base on Oct. 31, 2022 in Gunsan, South Korea.

US sends F-35s, Navy destroyer to Middle East amid aggressive moves by Russia, Iran

The Pentagon is bolstering its defenses in the region as Congress presses the Biden administration to crack down on Iran's oil and gas exports.