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Syria

June 19, 2025

Damascus 5:26 pm

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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

BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images

6 killed in Lebanon-Syria border clashes as Hezbollah denies role: What we know

Clashes erupted along the Lebanon-Syria border after three Syrian security personnel were reportedly killed, prompting shelling by Syrian forces and retaliatory fire from the Lebanese military.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks during a briefing on US President Donald Trump's Mideast peace plan on February 11, 2020 in New York. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas told the UN Security Council that the world should reject President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, which he said would limit Palestinian sovereignty in a "Swiss cheese" deal. "We reject the Israeli-American plan," which "throws into question the legitimate rights of the Palestinians," Abbas said, brandishing a large map of

Interview

In break with Netanyahu, Olmert urges Israel to recognize Syria’s Sharaa, open dialogue

Former Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert believes Israel should recognize the legitimacy of the Syrian interim administration, telling Al-Monitor in an interview that he believes that the two countries should open dialogue.

Israeli army forces patrol in the village of Kfarshuba, southern Lebanon, Feb. 17, 2025.

Analysis

Israel’s two-pronged Lebanon strategy: Pursue border deal, strike Hezbollah

Israel is trying to negotiate a border demarcation with the Lebanese government while continuing to keep Hezbollah in check.

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

Syria electrical poles

In boost to Sharaa, Qatar to supply electricity to Syria via Jordan: What we know

Qatar will begin supplying natural gas to Syria via Jordan to generate 400 megawatts of electricity daily via Jordan. Sources indicated to Reuters that Jordan secured US approval.

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa receives the country's constitutional declaration, which will be enforced throughout a five-year transitional period, before signing it at the presidential palace in Damascus on March 13, 2025. Sharaa said he hoped the constitutional declaration would mark the start of "a new history for Syria, where we replace oppression with justice", as he signed the document setting out the transitional period. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP) (Photo by BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty I

Syria's draft constitution: Separation of powers, territorial unity and Islamic jurisprudence

After more than a week of uncertainty amid violent clashes and Israeli strikes, Syria's interim president has signed a constitutional declaration.

A member of the Syrian security forces stands guard at the site of an Israeli air strike on a building in Damascus in an area where Palestinian leaders are known to reside, on March 13, 2025.

Israel confirms strikes in Syria's capital, says targeted Islamic Jihad: What we know

The aerial attack came after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that Syria does not pose a threat to its neighbors and amid ongoing Israeli strikes.

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan looks on during a press briefing meeting to review the past year and to share insights regarding regional and global developments in Istanbul, on January 10, 2025. Turkey's top diplomat ruled out any role for French troops in Syria on January 10, 2025, saying Washington was its only interlocutor as US officials sought to head off Turkish military action against Kurdish fighters. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP) (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

Senior Turkey delegation visits Syria following Sharaa-SDF deal

Turkey’s top diplomat, intelligence and defense chiefs have arrived in Damascus following a key deal between Syria’s new rulers and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) and SDF leader Mazloum Kobane sign an agreement in Damascus on March 10, 2025.

Analysis

Syria’s Kurds win big as Sharaa shakes hands with Kobane to save his own skin

The surprise deal between Syria’s interim president and the Kurdish leader marks a pivotal moment for the country’s Kurdish minority and shifts the balance of power amid escalating violence.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

A general view shows a burnt out vehicle next to a banner bearing the Islamic State group's flag in the village of Dibsiafnan on the western outskirts of the Islamist's Syrian bastion of Raqa, after Syrian pro-government forces entered the area on June 11, 2017.

Exclusive

Turkey to host regional summit in April on counter-ISIS operations

Technical talks for the formation of a joint regional operation center against ISIS have begun as efforts to create an alternative to US-led coalition Syrian Democratic Forces against the Islamic State take shape.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Walid Jumblatt (L), the Druze former leader of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), attends a meeting with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

After SDF agreement, Syria's Sharaa meets Druze leaders seeking deal

Syria’s government has yet to confirm an agreement with Druze leaders and factions in Suwayda to integrate the province into state institutions.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoan (3-R) greets Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (2-L) next to Bolivia's President Luis Arce (L) and Argentina's President Javier Milei (R) before the group photo at the end of the first session of the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18, 2024. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

As Iran’s role recedes, Israel alarmed by Turkey-Syria-Egypt alignment

Could a new triple axis replace the yearslong threat against Israel of Iran and its proxies?

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

The new Syrian government's army fights the remaining elements of the Assad's regime on the coast near Latakia, Syria, March 7, 2025.

Syria government says coast operation against pro-Assad militias completed

The announcement comes as the fighting between pro-Assad militias and members of the security forces killed more than 1,000 people, majority of whom are civilians, amid reports of rights violations.