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Syria

April 8, 2026

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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

The photo was taken Feb. 9, 2023, after the earthquake in the town of Jindires in the countryside of Afrin, in the north of Aleppo, Syria. - Khaled al-Khateb

'We are forced to dig our mass graves': Syrians fend for themselves after earthquake

Al-Monitor has toured devastated towns in Syria, following the deadly earthquake that has killed over 3,000 Syrians. International humanitarian aid has yet to reach the area.

Assad earthquake

Analysis

Can Syria's Assad leverage earthquake to come in from the cold?

Aid for disaster recovery could provide an excuse for some countries in the region to resume normal relations with the Syrian regime.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

A Palestinian relief team poses for a picture before their departure to Syria and Turkey.

Palestinians join earthquake rescue efforts in Syria, Turkey

The Palestinian Authority joins more than 60 countries sending rescue teams to Turkey and Syria in response to the earthquake.

Turkey earthquake

The Takeaway: Syria's neglected northwest pleads for earthquake aid

Plus, a roundup of Al-Monitor's on-the-ground coverage of the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

Syrians, displaced as a result of the deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria two days ago, arrive to an open area on the outskirts of the rebel-held town of Jindayris on February 8, 2023. - A leading United Nations official called for the facilitation of aid access to rebel-held areas in Syria's northwest, warning that relief stocks will soon be depleted. Rebel-held areas near Turkey's border -- hard hit by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on Monday -- cannot receive aid from government-held pa

Earthquake death toll nears 20,000 as Turkey, Syria seek help

Hundreds of thousands more are injured or displaced as rescue workers race against time to free those who are trapped.

A photograph taken on February 8, 2023 shows tents at a camp set up by the government in the southeastern Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, two days after a strong earthquake struck the region.

Earthquake deaths pass 11,000 in Turkey, Syria as anger, desperation mount: Live Updates

Desperation is growing in the aftermath of the massive earthquakes that rocked Turkey, Syria and beyond as international rescue efforts pour into the region.

Residents and rescuers search for victims and survivors amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Rescuers pour into Turkey, but aid slow to arrive in earthquake-hit Syria

The disaster response in northern Syria is stymied by supply chain issues, logistical hurdles and diplomatic disputes over accessing the country's rebel-held territory.

The village of Bibsna, located on the Syrian-Turkish border, was almost completely destroyed by the earthquake, and rescue teams are trying to recover the victims and treat the wounded, Feb. 6, 2023.

Already displaced by war, Syrians search earthquake rubble for loved ones

Residents of northwest Syria, most of whom found refuge in the area after fleeing the bombing in their hometowns during the war, found themselves facing a new catastrophe following Monday's magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

This aerial view shows residents helped by bulldozers, searching for victims and survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings, following an earthquake in the town of Sarmada in the countryside of the northwestern Syrian Idlib province, early on February 6, 2023. Over 1,500 people have been killed in the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. (Photo by MUHAMMAD HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)

Gulf countries rush earthquake aid to Turkey, Syria

Countries in the Gulf have announced aid for Turkey and Syria after Monday's devastating earthquakes.

Middle East corruption rankings: Syria most corrupt, UAE least, Turkey slipped

Corruption remains rampant across the Middle East and North Africa, Transparency International reports, with the region’s average score in combating corruption hitting a new low of 38.

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey faces tough options on Syrian rebel allies amid Damascus thaw

Ankara’s quest to restore ties with Damascus has left its Syrian rebel allies confused as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the jihadi group controlling Idlib, seeks to raise its profile and lure the disenchanted to its ranks.

Fighters affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham take part in a military excercise on attacking tactics with live ammunition, on the outskirts of Idlib, Syria, Nov. 8, 2022.

Increase in Jihadist attacks in Syria as Turkey courts Assad

Syrian jihadi groups are increasing their attacks on Syrian army outposts, as tripartite meetings between Russia, Turkey and Syria hint at a potential rapprochement deal to end the decade-long war.