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

Palmyra

Syria

November 8, 2026

Damascus 9:49 pm

13°C

Bakr ALkasem / AFP via Getty Images

Syria foils Hezbollah-linked plot to attack Homs refinery: What to know

Syrian authorities have intensified a crackdown against Hezbollah’s alleged plans to launch attacks inside Syrian territory as well as smuggling attempts.

BING GUAN/AFP via Getty Images

Lawmakers urge Commerce Dept to ease Syria investment restrictions

Syria may be off the terrorism blacklist, but the Commerce Department’s export controls have yet to catch up.

Muzna Al-Atrash

Explainer

Meet Muzna al-Atrash, Syria's new Druze adviser for peace affairs

Atrash, from the Suwayda province and a member of the Druze community, will advise Damascus on peace affairs as it looks to assert authority in the south.

People inspect the damage at a site targeted by airstrikes

Analysis

How Syria is balancing public anger, regional stability after Jordan's strikes

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Middle East, reporting on regional politics

Latest News

Analysis

Gaza progress, Syria pullback: What Turkey wants from Israel’s next government

Demonstrators hold a banner reading "Free Gaza, free world"

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Syria flash floods kill at least 5, force hundreds of families from camps

Mohammed Mir / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Interview

US oil firm HKN aims to double output in Syria's formerly Kurdish-run fields

A general view shows the Awad oil field in the eastern Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, on Feb. 15, 2026.

Matthew Zais

Matthew Zais

HKN vice president for government affairs

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

Is Hezbollah looking to restore its image through the West Bank?

In light of allegations about the discovery of Hezbollah-affiliated armed cells in the West Bank, some sources say that Hezbollah might be seeking to regain the popularity it lost when it got involved in the Syrian war by militarily supporting Palestinians in their fight against Israel.

A Syrian refugee carries two children moments after arriving on a dinghy on the Greek island of Lesbos, September 8, 2015. Greece asked the European Union for aid to prevent it being overwhelmed by refugees, as a minister said arrivals on Lesbos had swollen to three times as many as the island could handle. REUTERS/Dimitris Michalakis - RTX1RPL9

US unlikely to take more Syrian refugees

While the United States has taken only 1,500 Syrian refugees so far, Americans moved by the drowning death of a Syrian toddler and other scenes of misery among migrants are opening their wallets and contributing more to aid agencies.

Smoke raises behind an Islamic State flag after Iraqi security forces and Shiite fighters took control of Saadiya in Diyala province from Islamist State militants, November 24, 2014. Iraqi forces said on Sunday they retook two towns north of Baghdad from Islamic State fighters, driving them from strongholds they had held for months and clearing a main road from the capital to Iran. There was no independent confirmation that the army, Shi'ite militia and Kurdish peshmerga forces had completely retaken Jalawl

How the Islamic State has helped the Middle East

The expansion of the Islamic State has forced regional powers to cooperate and is in fact strengthening state governance in the Middle East.

Syrians turn to virtual health clinic for medical help

An online clinic founded by Syrian activists provides diagnoses and advice to Syrians unable to access medical assistance because of the war.

Syria diplomacy 'stuck'

Hopes of the United States, Europe and Russia to try to ramp up Syria diplomacy in the wake of the Iran nuclear deal have stalled amid Saudi reluctance, and there has been no breakthrough after the flurry of recent diplomatic contacts between Washington, Moscow and Riyadh.

Iranian deputy foreign minister reasserts leadership on Syria, confidence in Hezbollah

During a visit to Beirut, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian discussed Lebanese presidential elections and pressing regional issues, including relations between Washington, Riyadh and Moscow concerning Syria and the nuclear agreement.

Netanyahu is all talk and no action when it comes to helping refugees, asylum seekers

In reaction to the flow of Syrian refugees, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks about “empathy for a human tragedy,” but when it comes to actions, as in the case of the Gaza Strip or the asylum seekers from Africa, he turns his back.

The new pulse of Gulf security

The Iran nuclear deal and the summit between US President Barack Obama and Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud could signal a turning point in Gulf security.

Will King Salman’s visit to Washington reset US-Saudi relations?

The joint statement released following King Salman's meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama Sept. 4 indicates that they discussed the region's most pressing issues including the Iran nuclear deal, the Syrian civil war, the fight against the Islamic State and the war in Yemen.

New Istanbul bookstore-cafe focuses on Arab culture, refugee experience

A small group of Syrian intellectuals has founded a bookstore-cafe in Istanbul, hoping to bridge cultures and promote Arab refugees' rich literary and cultural heritage.

Assad’s 'reputation trap' for Moscow

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in his fear of losing the support of Russia, may be backing Russia into a corner of sorts.

European countries to Turkey: We pay, you keep Syrian refugees

Syrian refugees are the new ping-pong between EU countries and Turkey.