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October 15, 2026

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Netanyahu discloses 2025 call with Syria’s Sharaa, first publicly known contact

It is the first publicly disclosed contact between the leaders of Israel and Syria, which lack formal relations and have fought several wars. Sharaa’s government began US-mediated talks with Israel in 2025.

Demonstrators ride through a street while waving Syrian flags

Analysis

Why Syria and Iraq are taking different approaches to armed groups

In a break from past policies, the new governments in Damascus and Baghdad are clamping down on militant groups with the capacity or desire to harm regional partners.

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

A view of the Great Umayyad Mosque during the reopening ceremony, Oct. 8, 2026.

Culture

Syria reopens Aleppo's 1,300-year-old Great Umayyad Mosque after 13 years

Syrian authorities are working to restore cultural landmarks and ancient sites that had been damaged or destroyed during the civil war.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Oct. 6, 2026.

Analysis

Why Syria sending troops to Yemen would be a risky bet for Sharaa

Syria insists it will not send troops to fight the Houthis alongside Saudi Arabia, but its economic dependence on Riyadh could complicate Damascus’ resistance to the idea.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Culture

Syria's Kurds, Arabs find common cause in battle for language rights

Youths play the daf, an Iranian frame drum, during a protest demanding the right to education in the Kurdish language in Al-Qamishli, Syria, on September 22, 2026. The demonstrations follow a decision by the Syrian Interim Government to allocate only Kurdish language classes in schools. (Photo by Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Syria’s Sharaa in Riyadh as Saudi airports come under Houthi attacks: What to know

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Oct. 6, 2026.

UAE-Syria move ahead on $20 billion real estate mega-developments

A view of a traffic roundabout in central Latakia, Syria on June 12, 2025. The city's road network converges near the coast, forming one of the busiest urban intersections in the province. (Photo by Omar Albaw / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by OMAR ALBAW/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

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 guided-missile destroyer USS Barry launches a Tomahawk cruise missile from the ship's bow in the Mediterranean Sea in this U.S. Navy handout photo dated March 29, 2011. Barry is currently supporting Joint Task Force (JTF) Odyssey Dawn. JTF Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution

How Would US Strike Against Syria Affect Lebanon?

As the world awaits a likely US-led military strike on Syria, many in Lebanon are concerned about the potential repercussions such an action could have on them.

A Patriot anti-missile battery is deployed in the northern city of Haifa August 29, 2013. Israel ordered a small-scale mobilisation of reservists on Wednesday, and strengthened its missile defences as precautions against possible Syrian attack should Western powers carry out threatened strikes on Syria. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (ISRAEL - Tags: CIVIL UNREST MILITARY POLITICS) - RTX12ZZO

Three Scenarios for Day After Attack on Syria

The possible outcomes of a US-launched war on Syria.

A convoy of U.N. vehicles carrying a team of United Nations chemical weapons experts and escorted by Free Syrian Army fighters (vehicle on left) drive through one of the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack in eastern Ghouta in Damascus suburbs August 28, 2013. A team of United Nations inspectors reached rebel-held territory outside Damascus on Wednesday, opposition activists said, and would soon begin a second day of investigating the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds

Experts in Turkey Differ on Syria Policy

A group of well-informed experts on Syria warned that Turkey may face unprecedented challenges after a potential military strike against the Assad regime.

A man carries gas masks kits which he collected from a distribution centre in Jerusalem August 29, 2013. Israel ordered a small-scale mobilisation of reservists on Wednesday and strengthened its missile defences as precautions against possible Syrian attack should Western powers carry out threatened strikes on Syria. Many Israelis continued to queue up for gas masks at distribution centres on Thursday. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CIVIL UNREST) - RTX1302E

Israel Should Heed Syrian Lessons In Dealing with Iran

The Obama administration's inaction and discourse on Syria must serve as a warning sign to Israel when dealing with the Iranian threat.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (R) shakes hands with Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, as they meet in Ankara August 2, 2013. REUTERS/Adem Altan/Pool (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS ENTERTAINMENT) - RTX1288Q

Erdogan’s Fateful Season

The real danger for the Turkish prime minister is in the warning signs of the economy.

Syrian Muslim Brotherhood secretary-general Ali Saad-al-din Bayanouni (L) and former Syrian Vice-President Abdel-Halim Khaddam hold a news conference in Brussels March 17, 2006. Exiled Syrian opposition leaders announced the creation of a united front on Friday aimed at forming a transitional government to bring about "regime change" from President Bashar al-Assad to democracy. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir - RTR17B3V

Syria Brotherhood Leader: US Position on Syria 'Negative'

In an exclusive interview, senior Syrian Muslim Brotherhood leader Ali al-Bayanouni says, "There is no room for a political solution" with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Free Syrian Army fighters and residents gather around a convoy of U.N. vehicles carrying a team of United Nations chemical weapons experts at one of the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack in Damascus' suburbs of Zamalka August 28, 2013. U.N. chemical weapons experts investigating the apparent gas attack that killed hundreds of civilians in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus made a second trip across the front line to take samples. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh (SYRIA - Tags: - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST

Eight Reasons Why US, Iran Must Manage Syria Crisis

A volatile Middle East makes it even more urgent that the US and Iran work together through the UN Security Council to resolve their disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and Syria.

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Syrian Heavy Metal Bands Rock On During War

With the situation in Syria deteriorating daily, Syria’s rock and heavy metal artists continue to make music despite pressure from more than just their government.

Members of the Free Syrian Army gather as gunfire is heard between them and the armed Kurds of The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in the northern Syrian town of Ras al-Ain, November 25, 2012. Iran said Turkey's plans to deploy Patriot defensive missiles near its border with Syria would add to the region's problems, as fears grow of the Syrian civil war spilling across frontiers. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTR3AV5G

Kurdish Jihadists Fight Kurds in Syria

Some young Iraqi Kurdish men are being lured by al-Qaeda's call for jihad in Syria, even if it puts them into combat with their Kurdish brethren.

An Israeli Postal Service employee shows a man how to adjust a gas mask at a distribution point at a shopping mall in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim near Jerusalem August 26, 2013. Thousands of Israelis lined up for gas masks at nationwide distribution centers or phoned in orders fearing a deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria may wind up ensnaring their own nation in conflict, officials and analysts said on Monday. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CIVIL UNREST) -

Israel Must Take Clear Stand on Syria

An operation against Syria carries the potential for escalation that could lead to Armageddon, yet the United States must make it clear: Using weapons of mass destruction is not an option.

An Israeli soldier inspects a building after it was destroyed during an Iraqi Scud missile attack last night January 26, 1991. At least one person was killed and 69 wounded. Reuters/Ulli Michel /landov BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE - RTR2P2QB

Israel Should Be Part Of Coalition Against Syria

Israel has a moral obligation to be part of the international coalition being formed against the Assad regime, both as a concerned neighbor and as part of the international community.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speak during a joint news conference after their meeting in Moscow, May 7, 2013. The U.S. secretary of state sought Russian help in ending Syria's civil war on Tuesday, telling President Vladimir Putin in Moscow that common interest in a stable Middle East could bridge divisions among the big powers. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTXZE2I

US-Russia Diplomacy Could Be Casualty of Attack on Syria

A US attack on Syria may undermine the prospects for a Geneva II peace conference and worsen already strained ties between Washington and Moscow.