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

Palmyra

Syria

October 3, 2026

Damascus 9:46 am

22°C

Syria denies meeting with Lebanon’s Hezbollah in Turkey: What to know

Both Damascus and Ankara denied reports that Syrian officials met with Hezbollah representatives in Turkey, as relations between the two sides remain fraught with tensions mainly over the Lebanese group’s support for Assad’s forces against rebels during the Syrian civil war.

A picture taken on May 1, 2019 shows a railroad of Mar Mikhael neighborhood in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Lebanon seeks Turkey’s help to join Syria-Saudi rail link: What to know

Beirut is seeking Ankara’s support to link its ports to a railway project aiming to link Turkey to the Gulf, through Syria and Jordan.

A member of Syria's security forces stands guard outside a former army base near the city of Quneitra in southern Syria, on the edge of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on Sept. 21, 2025.

Feature

Syria Golan detentions fuel fury at Israeli forces, doubts in new government

Israeli forces have detained hundreds of Syrians and continue to conduct strikes and incursions in Quneitra, fueling resentment among residents who say Damascus has failed to protect them.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Iraqi soldiers from the new 'desert battalion' special forces stand next to military vehicles as the take part in a graduation ceremony, after months of training by the French military, at the Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar west of Baghdad on February 29, 2024. (Photo by Ahmad AL-RUBAYE / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

How militias in Anbar could complicate Iraq’s energy ambitions

Securing western Anbar is emerging as a key test of Iraq’s ability to curb armed factions, attract foreign investment and unlock the province’s vast energy potential.

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

Latest News

Exclusive

How Syrian Air is braving regional turbulence to rise from the ashes

Syria Air

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Analysis

Can Netanyahu turn Israel's UN isolation into strength at home?

ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

UAE's Gargash expects 'prolonged' war, calls for Iran-Gulf security talks

Gargash

United Arab Emirates

Syria’s Shibani visits Latakia airport to review Russia deal progress: What to know

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani visits Latakia airport on Sept. 18, 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

HTS takes over opposition police stations in northern Syria

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has told officers of the Free Syrian Police in northern Syria to hand over their stations and join the Islamic police, or find new jobs.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) celebrate the first anniversary of Raqqa province liberation from ISIS, in Raqqa, Syria Ocotber 27, 2018. REUTERS/Aboud Hamam - RC1B3BEE3E50

Syrian Kurds tell Washington they may join forces with Assad if US pulls out of Syria

A top Syrian Kurdish official said today that US-backed fighters will consider integrating with the Syrian army, a potential frustration to US policy in the country after troops withdraw.

Turkish soldiers stand next to a tank near the Turkish-Syrian border in Kilis province, Turkey January 31, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC15B613B1F0

Kurdish leaders scrabble for footing as Ankara pounds war drums

Turkey says it has completed preparations to intervene in Syria's Manbij and the Kurdish-controlled area east of the Euphrates River.

Turkish military vehicles ride at the Bab el-Salam border crossing between the Syrian town of Azaz and the Turkish town of Kilis, in Syria January 1, 2019. Picture taken January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC1AD1B9E6A0

Ankara’s planned operation in northeast Syria remains murky

Whether Ankara will stage an operation east of Euphrates depends on diplomatic efforts with Washington and Moscow.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita meets Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Morocco's capital Rabat, January 25, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer - RC121B4F3DC0

Russia keeps plugging away at cooperation with North Africa

During his tour around the Maghreb, Foreign Minister Lavrov showed Russia has a genuine interest in developing stronger ties with regional states, but the number of roadblocks in the way raise questions about Moscow's ability to go past "strategic declarations" anytime soon.

Turkish Army tanks and armoured personnel carriers are seen near the Turkish-Syrian border in Kilis province, Turkey January 31, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC18F29DD730

Turkey pledges to enter Syria so refugees can return

Frustrated by the slow progress on a proposed buffer zone in northeast Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled Turkey could do it alone, saying it would allow some of the millions of Syrians sheltering in Turkey to go home.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands at the end of a joint press conference following their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, January 23, 2019. Aleksander Nemenov/Pool via REUTERS - RC1C245362B0

Putin proposes old yet novel idea for Turkey-Syria crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested reactivating the 1998 Adana Accord to prevent Turkey from intervening east of the Euphrates River in Syria.

Putin guides Erdogan along the Road to Damascus

The Russian and Turkish presidents agree to rekindle 1998 Adana agreement.

A construction crane is seen as smoke rises from Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus, Syria April 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho - RC16C2D4AC60

US-Gulf tensions mount over restrictions on Syria reconstruction

Gulf states are seeking to become major economic players in post-war Syria, but US sanctions are causing some states to proceed with caution.

United Arab Emirates

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan attend Russia-Turkey talks in an expanded format at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia January 23, 2019. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1489354BE0

Erdogan-Putin summit highlights differences over Syria

Ankara gets little out of Moscow regarding its plans for northern Syria.

Will the US renege on its promises to protect SDF in Syria?

Turkey is pushing ahead with the idea of a safe zone along its border with Syria.

PA opens new TV station in Damascus

The Palestinian Authority’s official TV station inaugurated its new headquarters in Damascus, a move that was seen as paving the way for normalizing ties with the Syrian regime.