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July 22, 2026

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Tourism students and visitors visit the ruins of the ancient city of Apamea in the Hama countryside, Syria, on July 8, 2026.

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.

Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP via Getty Images

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.

A man holds a Syrian flag across the street from the White House after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump at White House in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025.

Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know

The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations.

Latest News

Explainer

How Macron seeks to carve out France's role in new Syria

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) welcomes France's President Emmanuel Macron for a joint press conference in Damascus on July 7, 2026.

US to drop Syria from terror blacklist

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.

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

AFP via Getty Images

Syria FM visits China as Beijing presses Damascus on Uyghur fighters, TIP

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani pledged that his country would not allow foreign fighters to “exploit its territory to carry out activities” that would harm Chinese security.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives at the Grand Kremlin Palace for his meeting with Russia's president in Moscow on Oct. 15, 2025.

Israel condemns Syria over purported Oct. 7 musical event: What to know

Israel, which has tense relations with Syria's new government, condemned a concert allegedly commemorating Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, though the event was reportedly cancelled.

Sharaa

Analysis

Could Trump be the one to deliver peace to Syria and Turkey's Kurds?

As Trump deepens his Syria push, Washington is probing whether its leverage can turn fragile truces into lasting peace.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

US President Donald Trump meets Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in the White House, in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025.

Syria’s Sharaa leaves Washington with warm assurances but no security agreements

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa departed Washington without clinching major security agreements or long-term economic relief.

Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa holds a joint press conference with the Turkish president following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, on February 4, 2025. Syria's interim president is in Turkey for talks with the country's leader after flying in from Saudi Arabia, where he was seeking help from wealthy Gulf countries to finance the reconstruction of his war-ravaged nation and revive its economy, as part of his second international trip since ousting the former Syrian president. (

Syria's Sharaa says no direct talks with Israel, open to US military presence

In an interview on Monday, President Ahmed al-Sharaa dismissed direct negotiations with Israel concerning the Abraham Accords, but left the door open to US-brokered diplomacy.

A man holds a Syrian flag across the street from the White House after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with US President Donald Trump at White House in Washington on Nov. 10, 2025.

Trump buys time with Syria sanctions waiver as Congress wrestles over repeal

Before his Oval Office visit, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with a key lawmaker whose support is needed to repeal the Caesar Act.

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

Syrian President Sharaa arrives at White House in historic first

Sharaa met with Trump as the administration weighs easing sanctions and expanding cooperation on Syria.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan gestures as he speaks during a press conference after a meeting with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia in Istanbul on November 3, 2025. Turkey on November 3, 2025, hosts a string of top diplomats from the Islamic world to bring their influence to bear on the future of Gaza, as fears grow for the increasingly fragile truce. The October 10 ceasefire in the two-year-long Israel-Hamas war, brokered by US Presi

Turkey’s Fidan joins Trump-Sharaa talks at White House

The Turkish foreign minister’s surprise Washington visit highlights Ankara’s growing role in shaping postwar Syria diplomacy.

DAMASCUS, SYRIA - JULY 16: Members of Syria's civil defense work amid the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on Syria's defence ministry headquarters on July 16, 2025 in Damascus, Syria. A spokesperson from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Wednesday that Israeli airstrikes have targeted the headquarters of Syria's defence ministry and a site near the presidential palace in Damascus. The strikes come amid an escalation in conflict between Syrian government forces and Druze militia in the southern Sy

Analysis

Sharaa in Washington: Can US charm offensive boost Syria’s reconstruction?

The trip signals strong support for the new Syrian government, as President Sharaa seeks the breakthroughs needed to end economic isolation and speed up reconstruction, while US sanctions continue to paralyze investment.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa shake hands during a joint press conference following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, on Feb. 4, 2025.

Analysis

Turkey eyes dividends from Sharaa-Trump meeting, but SDF talks test Ankara

Ankara stands to make strategic gains from the Syrian president’s historic visit, with the future of the Kurdish-led SDF remaining a critical issue.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO