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Syria

July 10, 2026

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US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, on July 8, 2026.

US to drop Syria from terror blacklist

The terrorism label remained a key obstacle to Syria's postwar reconstruction.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shakes hands with France's President Emmanuel Macron following a joint press conference in Damascus on July 7, 2026.

Explainer

French energy, shipping giants explore Syria deals during Macron visit

The two countries signed preliminary pacts spanning transport, healthcare, banking, infrastructure and development on Tuesday, even as twin explosions in the capital underscored the fragile investment environment.

Latest News

Macron's Syria visit eyes to boost France's economic role: What to know

Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images

Two explosions hit Damascus as Macron visits Syria

Security personnel and first responders prepare to cordon off an area near the Four Seasons Hotel following two blasts nearby in Damascus on July 7, 2026. Syrian authorities said 18 people were wounded by two blasts in central Damascus on July 7 near the hotel where France's president spent the night, with the Elysee Palace saying his visit is ongoing. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

How Syria’s wheat fields turned into first battleground over reconstruction

Farmers roast harvested wheat using fire in a field on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, on May 18, 2026.

Haddon Barth

By Haddon Barth

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 coming battle for Idlib

Syrian regime forces are deploying near and around Idlib province, in northwestern Syria, suggesting that the battle for Idlib is shaping up despite diplomatic gesturing and a statement by Russia denying an imminent operation.

Russia, Turkey seek peaceful solutions to 'imminent' Idlib battle

Moscow and Ankara are actively working through back channels to ensure a smooth settlement in Syria's Idlib, amid ongoing rumors of an imminent fight between opposition groups and Syrian regime forces.

A picture taken on July 19, 2018 shows rebel fighters on a tank, entering town of Fuaa in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib after thousands of its residents were evacuated to regime-controlled areas. - Several thousand residents evacuated two pro-regime towns in northern Syria today, putting an end to one of the longest sieges of the country's seven-year civil war.
Fuaa and Kafraya in Idlib province were the last remaining areas under blockade in Syria and a rare example of pro-government towns surr

Is a storm brewing for Turkey in Idlib?

The increasing presence of jihadis in the last remaining opposition enclave is giving Bashar al-Assad a pretext to threaten an attack on the region where Turkish forces are also deployed.

Ankara’s eyes on Idlib as Astana group gathers in Sochi

Representatives from Turkey, Russia and Iran are reportedly meeting in Sochi to discuss the Syrian conflict, and Iran's presence in the war-torn area seems to figure prominently.

Turkey becomes more dependent on Russia due to Idlib

Ankara has not reacted to large Russian arms shipments to Armenia as Turkey’s current priority is preserving security cooperation with Russia in Syria, particularly in Idlib.

Soldiers walk past damaged buildings in Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus, Syria May 22, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RC18889192B0

Palestinians reach agreement with Damascus on return of refugees

Amid efforts to reconstruct the Yarmouk refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus, the PLO is working to facilitate the return of Palestinian refugees to Syria who fled to Gaza and Lebanon.

A Syrian Army soldier loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad forces stands next to a military weapon in Idlib, Syria January 21, 2018. Picture taken January 21, 2018. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. - RC19C0D8B740

Syria's Idlib emerges as Achilles heel in Russia-Turkey partnership

Although Turkey is desperately trying to postpone an imminent Idlib operation by Syrian forces, a compromise doesn’t look likely.

A Syrian boy holds the Iranian flag as a truck carrying aid provided by Iran arrives in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor on September 20, 2017 while Syrian government forces continue to press forward with Russian air cover in the offensive against Islamic State group jihadists across the province.
Two separate offensives are under way against the jihadists in the area -- one by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the other by Russian-backed government forces. The Syrian army now controls around 70 percent

Did Israel nix Russian deal on Iran-backed forces in Syria?

Putin intensifies diplomacy with Israel and Turkey, as Iran adjusts its Syria policy after Helsinki; Damascus and Syrian Kurds keep talking; Al-Monitor breaks story on costs of US Embassy in Jerusalem.

Is Turkey refusing to register new Syrian refugees?

Istanbul denies claims from Human Rights Watch that Turkey has stopped registering Syrian refugees.

A man scans his thumbprint during a registration process for a new Identification card at al-Bab city council offices in the northeast of Aleppo, Syria July 15, 2018. Picture Taken July 15, 2018. REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi - RC1F92F66FE0

Syrians in opposition-held areas near Aleppo obtain new IDs

With Turkey’s help, al-Bab’s local council started issuing new IDs to Syrians who had lost them in the war, a move that will soon be applicable in the entire Euphrates Shield area.

Turkey makes payout to families of FSA fighters killed in Afrin operation

The Turkish government has paid the families of Free Syrian Army militants killed in Operation Olive Branch a death gratuity, though the families of those Syrians killed in other operations are still waiting for aid.

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Iran maneuvers to protect its interests in Syria

Iran’s strategy on Syria enters a more proactive phase as the Islamic Republic maneuvers to keep its interests, including its partnership with Russia, intact.