Syria Conflict

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Supreme Court backs Trump move to end Syrians’ deportation protections

The decision affects some 6,100 Syrians who live in the United States.

Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Syria’s energy push could soon get a major boost from Chevron: What to know

The country's leaders are seeking to translate a flurry of oil and gas agreements into concrete investments and rebuild an industry devastated by more than a decade of war, sanctions and isolation.

Defendant Wassim al-Assad appears before the Fourth Criminal Court during the opening session of his trial in Damascus on June 24, 2026.

Syria opens trial of Wassim al-Assad, cousin of ousted president: What we know

The trial follows another session in the case against Atef Najib, also a cousin of former President Bashar al-Assad, as Syrian authorities continue prosecuting figures linked to the former regime and its remnants.

Germany's forward #26 Deniz Undav (2nd R), an ethnic Kurd, scores his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group E football match between Germany and Ivory Coast at the Toronto Stadium in Toronto on June 20, 2026.

Culture

Amid political setbacks, Kurds shine at the World Cup

Kurdish players and clubs are making rare global gains on football’s biggest stage, offering a brief lift amid ongoing political setbacks across the region.

Latest News

Syria announces direct flights to Amsterdam as Europe links expand

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Syria’s Sharaa says he had ‘multiple discussions’ with Trump on Lebanon, favors dialogue

US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Oval Office, Washington, DC, Nov. 10, 2025.

Syrian Kurd commander Kobane kicks off European tour amid scrutiny from Damascus

Mazloum Abdi (Kobani), commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), speaks with AFP during an interview in the countryside outside the northwestern Syrian city of Hasakah, in the province of the same name, on January 24, 2019. - Any deal between Syria's Kurds and the Damascus regime should respect the "special status" of Kurdish-led forces who fought the Islamic State (IS) group, Kobani said. The SDF control around a third of Syria after expelling jihadists from a large northeastern swathe of t

Analysis

Why Trump’s push for Syria to confront Hezbollah is an unlikely bid

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa is welcomed by Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia on April 24, 2026, on the sidelines of a European summit.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus' Dweila area on June 22, 2025.

Syria church bombing raises fears ISIS will exploit Iran-Israel war to gain ground

As the Iran-Israel war draws in global powers, security vacuums in Syria may be allowing ISIS to reemerge.

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.

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)

Culture

Syria mandates burkinis for women at public beaches: What to know

The decree has sparked concern that Syria’s new government could be veering toward a more strict Islamist governance system.

US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack meets Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa in Damascus, on May 29, 2025.

Interview

US believes Syria’s Sharaa at risk of assassination, Trump envoy says

US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack also discusses what’s next for sanctions relief, the country’s relationship with Israel and why the Trump administration is not engaged in “nation-building.”

Tom Barrack

Tom Barrack

US special envoy for Syria

Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor, Chairman of the al-Habtoor Group, attending the World Premiere of La Perle in Dubai

UAE’s Al Habtoor Group to send business delegation to Syria: What to know

Al Habtoor Group's announcement comes after the United States and European Union lifted most economic sanctions on Syria last month.

tomb

Culture

What to know about 1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb uncovered in Syria

A contractor found a tomb complex dating back to the Byzantine Empire in Syria's Idlib province, just as many residents have started returning to their homes following the fall of Assad.

People queue in front of a teller next to a pile of banknotes of different currencies at a commercial bank affiliated with Syria's central bank in Damascus on December 16, 2024. Governments worldwide are stepping up efforts to engage with Syria's new interim rulers, just over a week after Islamist-led rebels ousted president Bashar al-Assad, ending decades of brutal rule and civil war. (Photo by Louai Beshara / AFP) / "The erroneous CAPTION appearing in the metadata of this photo by Louai Beshara has been

Exclusive

Trump to sign sweeping order rescinding Syria sanctions

The expected executive order comes after the Trump administration took steps to ease sanctions on Syria last month.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

People queue to use ATM machines outside a bank in Damascus on Dec. 16, 2024.

Syria to rejoin SWIFT payment system ‘within a few weeks’: What to know

It marks a major milestone in Syria’s economic recovery from sanctions imposed in 2011 in response to human rights abuse allegations against the regime of long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad.

A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus, on June 4, 2025.

Culture

Syria’s top Islamic body issues decree against honor killings: What to know

US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack referred to the decision as “great first steps,” though concerns persist about the new Islamist-led government.