Syria - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Palmyra

Syria

June 27, 2026

Damascus 5:46 pm

33°C

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

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.

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.

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

Members of the new Syrian government's army are seen amid battles with militias loyal to the Assad regime on the Syrian coast near Latakia, Syria, on March 7, 2025.

Turkey launches military training for Syria’s new army: What to know

Ankara has launched training, consultancy and technical assistance support to Syrian troops, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry.

Workers package human remains recovered from the mass grave in Damascus, Syria, on Dec. 17, 2024.

Nine bodies unearthed in Latakia mass grave, one of dozens found in post-Assad Syria

As part of the efforts by new Syrian authorities to bring justice to victims of the Assad regime, dozens of mass graves containing thousands of bodies — believed to be victims of former regime forces — have been discovered across Syria.

US raid kills senior ISIS official near Syria's border with Turkey

The US raid killed a senior ISIS official believed to be next in line for the group’s top leadership role, a US official said.

Sharaa Kobane

Analysis

Syria state media's Kurdish-language launch: tactical move or real shift?

SANA's foray into the Kurdish language is largely symbolic and part of Damascus’ efforts to project an image of compromise amid tense negotiations.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Saudi Syria

Syria, Saudi Arabia sign mutual investments deal: What to know

The deal came during a Saudi-Syrian meeting in Riyadh that was held in continuation of the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held in Damascus last month that saw the signing of 47 deals worth $6.4 billion.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM slams Fidan’s threats against Syria's SDF

As Ankara increasingly threatens the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the opposition People's Equality and Democracy Party warns that a potential Turkish military operation against the Kurdish-led group could disrupt the peace process at home.

Security forces loyal to the interim Syrian government stand guard at a checkpoint previously held by supporters of deposed president Bashar al-Assad, in the town of Hmeimim, in the coastal province of Latakia, on March 11, 2025.

UN: Syria's March violence saw ‘likely’ war crimes by Damascus, Assad remnants

The United Nations noted deliberate targeting of Alawite civilians in its report on the killings along the Syrian coast and called on the government to expand its efforts in taking steps toward accountability.

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

After inking military pact, Turkey to provide Syria with weapons, training

The initial phase of Turkey-Syria military cooperation will address building a regular army and basic defensive needs, analysts say.

An aerial view shows a tank, left behind by regime forces, on the road leading to the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun, in the northwestern Syrian Idlib province, on Dec. 1, 2024.

Explosion kills 4 in Syria’s Idlib: What to know

Syria remains littered with the waste of a Cold War arsenal and 14 years of civil war.

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Will Turkey follow through on threats to attack Syria's Kurds?

This week we unpack the stakes around Ankara's threats to take military action alongside Damascus against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, meets with US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, in Baabda, east of Beirut, July 7, 2025.

Analysis

Lebanon key to Trump plan for turnaround in Middle East

The final "This Week" column reflects on US policy toward Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gaza.

Andrew Parasiliti

By Andrew Parasiliti

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, national security

turkey syria pact

Turkey, Syria ink defense cooperation deal as Ankara ups pressure on Kurdish-led SDF

The military agreement comes amid Ankara’s warnings to the Pentagon-allied and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces over their refusal to integrate into Syria’s army.