Syria Conflict

President of Syria Ahmed al-Shara arrives for the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at UN Headquarters on Sept. 23, 2025 in New York City.

Analysis

'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance

Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives ahead of a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in central London on March 31, 2026.

Syria’s Sharaa makes fourth visit to Saudi Arabia, first since Iran war: What to know

The visit comes in light of the deepening economic relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia post-Assad.

Members of Iraq's security forces stand guard on the the al-Rabia border crossing with Syria on April 20, 2026.

How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance

After years of closure, the reopening of al-Yaaroubiya crossing is redrawing Kurdish economic leverage and reinforcing Turkey’s regional strategy.

Syrian soldiers stand in the snow in the country's mountainous Qalamoun region, near the border with Lebanon, during a patrol to secure the frontier and prevent smuggling operations on January 1, 2026. (Photo by Bakr ALkasem / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

As Lebanon-Israel talks loom, can Syria help in curbing Hezbollah?

In the post-Assad landscape, Damascus is seeking to reshape its role — not as Lebanon’s power broker but as a reluctant neighbor aiming to curb Hezbollah while steering clear of deeper entanglement.

Danny Makki

In London, reporting on Syrian politics and culture

Latest News

Sharaa distances Syria from Iran war, says Israel talks ongoing: What to know

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish Presient Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey April 17, 2026.

Analysis

Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds?

Kurdish people waving Kurdistan flags gather to celebrate Nowruz on the hill of Urkesh in the countryside of Amuda in northeastern Syria on March 18, 2026. Nowruz, meaning "new day," is an ancient festival that marks the start of spring and the new year on the vernal equinox, which usually falls on March 20 or 21. It is celebrated by more than 300 million people worldwide and has been observed for over 3,000 years across regions including the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus and parts of Eastern Euro

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

US troops depart Syria, ending decade of presence in fight against ISIS

Boys along a road wave to an approaching US military mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) armored fighting vehicle moving in a convoy transporting Islamic State group detainees being transferred to Iraq from Syria, on the outskirts of Qahtaniyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on Feb. 7, 2026.

Analysis

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

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.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Members of People's Defense Units (YPG) stand guard as Syrian government internal security personnel enter the northeastern city of Hasakeh, a Kurdish stronghold, on Feb. 2, 2026.

Feature

After SDF-Damascus truce, is Kurdish haven still safe for Syria's Alawites?

Thousands of Alawites who fled violence in western Syria now face uncertainty as the Syrian government and Kurdish forces reach a tentative truce.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd L), Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani (3rd R) and SDF commander Mazlum Kobane (4th R) meet on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, on Feb. 13, 2026 in Munich.

Rubio holds joint talks with Syria's FM, SDF commander in Munich

SDF commander-in-chief Gen. Mazloum Kobane said it was a "positive session."

A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard in a prison where men suspected to be afiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group are jailed in northeast Syria in the city of Hasakeh on Oct. 26, 2019.

US military completes evacuation of ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq

The detainee transfer opens the door for US troops to further withdraw from Syria ahead of a potential military confrontation with Iran.

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

US military pulls out of Syria’s Al-Tanf garrison in major shift

Initially established as an outpost for US special operators to disrupt the Islamic State's control of the Syria-Iraq border, the base evolved into a key node for the Pentagon's efforts to monitor Iran's expanding military activity in the Levant.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

A campfire burns inside al-Hol camp on Jan. 26, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Exclusive

Syrian Kurdish officials say 66 Turkish ISIS fighters transferred for relocation to Iraq

The detainees were handed over from SDF custody to the US-led coalition for transfer to Iraqi prisons.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

SDF commander in chief, Mazlum Kobane, meets with Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on Feb. 5, 2026.

Exclusive

100 non-Syrian Kurds return to PKK’s Qandil stronghold under SDF-Damascus deal

The transfer of non-Syrian PKK fighters to Iraq’s Qandil Mountains follows a US-brokered SDF-Damascus deal aimed at easing tensions and preserving Kurdish forces under national army oversight.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a meeting with Russian President at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 28, 2026. (Photo by MAXIM SHIPENKOV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

In Syria, Sharaa's brothers take spotlight with Saudi, Russian dealings

Hazem al-Sharaa is playing a key role in Syria’s economic development and ties with the Gulf, while Maher al-Sharaa is involved in diplomacy with Russia, though another brother has reportedly fallen out of favor with the president.

A person with a motorbike stands on the side of a road as US-led coalition plane operates at a base on Jan. 26, 2026 in Al-Shaddadi, Syria.

US troops pull out of Shaddadi base in Syria: What to know

The base has been a hub for American troops between the central city of Hasakah and the strategic Khabur River Valley, once the gateway to the Islamic State's oil-producing heartland.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

This picture shows a Syrian Arab Airlines Airbus A320-200 aircraft and the control tower at Damascus international airport as the new Syrian authorities prepare to reopen it, on December 16, 2024. Damascus's airspace reopened on December 12, the airport director told AFP, after a closure since December 8, when president Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Syrian Airlines aircraft maintenance director said takeoffs and landing would be decided by the transport ministry, adding that the carrier hoped to "expan

Analysis

Saudi-backed airline to test Syria’s aviation recovery

The new airline is already set to face leasing, financing and market obstacles.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

A picture shows a view of a street with access to a detention center under the Adliyeh (Palace of Justice) bridge (L) of Lebanon's capital Beirut, on Aug. 7, 2022.

Lebanon, Syria sign deal to transfer 300 Syrian prisoners: What we know

Lebanon and Syria signed a deal to transfer more than 300 convicted Syrians held in Lebanese prisons to their home country to complete their sentences.

Members of Syrian security forces at the entrance of the al-Hol camp in the desert region of Hasakah province which holds around 24,000 people, including some 6,200 women and children from around 40 nationalities on Jan. 21, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Feature

Syrian Kurds say US ignored pleas for help as ISIS detainees turned on them in al-Hol

Chaos at al-Hol during clashes between Kurdish forces and Damascus underscored the widening security vacuum amid Kurdish claims of US abandonment.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

A Russian military Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlift aircraft takes off from Qamishli International Airport in northeastern Syria's Hasakah province on January 27, 2026. Russia withdrew troops and equipment on January 27 from the airport in Kurdish-held northeast Syria where its forces were based, as Kurdish forces who once controlled swathes of territory in the country's north and east have withdrawn in the face of military pressure of Syrian army advance while the country's new Islamist authorities seek to

Russian delegation in Syria to preserve military bases: What to know

Russian and Syrian military officials have held a series of reciprocal exchanges and visits in recent weeks, as the Kremlin continues to view Syria as a key military vantage point.