On eighth visit, Israel’s Netanyahu seeks to repair ties with Trump Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to focus on Iran in his Tuesday meeting with President Donald Trump, while the US leader is more likely to want to discuss Lebanon and Syria. United States
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says it doesn’t seek to resume negotiations with Washington Sharaa says Syria seeks security deal with Israel; Red Sea shipping slows after Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Syria arrivals surge 111% as government bets on tourism revival The country welcomed 3.52 million visitors during the first half of 2026, more than double the figure recorded a year earlier, as the government pushes to reconnect to the world and promote tourism as a pillar of economic recovery. Syria
Syria seizes arms shipment on Iraq border destined for Hezbollah The operation comes as part of the Syrian authorities' efforts to curb illicit arms smuggling through its territory, namely intended for Hezbollah. Lebanon
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near Tehran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Kremlin confirms S-400 talks with Turkey By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Russia, Iran, Turkey wrap Syria talks as border vote looms The three countries gathered in Kazakhstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, for the 16th round of the Astana talks aimed at resolving the decadelong war. Syria
World Food Programme sounds alarm as food prices rise in MidEast Currency depreciation and pandemic job losses in neighboring Lebanon and Syria have contributed to major food inflation in both countries. Syria
Syrian opposition organizes Arabian horse festival In the areas controlled by the Turkish-backed opposition in the countryside of Aleppo, equestrian sports are alive with the first purebred Arabian horse festival. Syria
Turkey’s anti-PKK assault leaves Kurds more divided Turkey’s unremitting assault against the PKK is destabilizing Iraqi Kurdistan, weakening the rebels on the one hand while bolstering support for them among disaffected locals on the other. Iraq
Defections threaten Ahrar al-Sham jihadist movement in Syria Once considered by some Western observers as a formidable opposition movement, Ahrar al-Sham is experiencing major defections and facing survival challenges. Syria
Syrian Kurdish authorities issue work cards for children The Child Protection Office affiliated with the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration in Manbij has started issuing work cards for children ages 10 to 18, in a move it claims aims to avoid forced conscription by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Syria
Turkish-controlled Syrian region faces water crisis The drop in the groundwater level and the drying up of some artesian wells have caused a water crisis in the city of al-Bab in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, and many citizens have been struggling with the high prices of drinking water sold from cisterns. Syria
Syrian jihadist group ramps up efforts to oust rivals from Idlib Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, has asked a Chechen jihadist group to either join its ranks or leave the battlefronts, in a move that many consider to be part of HTS' policy to have its name removed from international terrorist lists. Syria
Islamic State exploits economic downturn in Iraq, Syria, US envoy says John Godfrey said the thousands of suspected Islamic State fighters held in northeast Syria constitute a security threat to the region. Syria
Syrian aid agencies brace for vote on border crossing: 'There is no Plan B' Humanitarian actors are stockpiling supplies and sounding the alarm ahead of a UN Security Council vote that could eliminate the United Nations' last remaining entry point into northwest Syria. Syria
Russia rules out opening second Syria border crossing for aid Russia's UN ambassador said his government is still considering whether or not to veto the UN's mandate for Syria's last remaining aid crossing. Syria
Kurdish-led forces intensify crackdown on Islamic State cells in northeast Syria Islamic State activities seem to have diminished during the month of June in the Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria amid a crackdown led by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Syria