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Syria

October 22, 2026

Damascus 3:11 pm

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Trucks loaded with goods wait to cross over to Syria

Analysis

How Hormuz crisis is reshaping economic ties between Iraq and Syria

Iraq and Syria are expanding trade and energy cooperation, but security risks, economic challenges and longstanding mistrust raise questions about whether their growing partnership can endure.

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

Israeli troops stand guard on the dividing line between the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and Syrian, near Majdal Shams, July 16, 2025.

Analysis

'The problem and the solution': Netanyahu-Sharaa call exposes Israel's Syria dilemma

The Israeli leader revealed that he spoke with the Syrian president last year, but stalled talks and Israel's fortification of a security zone on Syrian land underscore his mistrust of Sharaa.

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

An attendee walks past signage displayed inside the venue for the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok on October 14, 2026. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP via Getty Images)

Syria to rejoin Arab group at IMF, leaving Russian-led constituency

Syria will rejoin the Arab constituency at the International Monetary Fund beginning Nov. 1 and has applied for membership in the EBRD.

Latest News

Explainer

Syria arrests Mihrac Ural, ex-Assad militia head also wanted by Turkey

Mihrac Ural, who was also known as Ali Kayali, was arrested

In first, Israel’s Netanyahu says he held call with Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa

Analysis

Why Syria and Iraq are taking different approaches to armed groups

Demonstrators ride through a street while waving Syrian flags

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

Culture

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

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

Stakes rise in Syria as Turkey clashes with pro-Assad militias

As Turkey’s forces approach the center of Afrin city in Syria, it is getting harder for Moscow to control events.

Turkey entangled in Syria cease-fire it once supported

Much to the consternation of many allies, Ankara is challenging the UN Security Council’s cease-fire resolution in Syria, saying it does not apply to Turkey's Afrin operation.

Turkish-Iranian trade revived amid growing cooperation in Syria

Turkey and Iran have reversed a four-year downturn in bilateral trade as collaboration in Syria increases, but the possibility of a setback remains real.

Erdogan calls for mobilization of army reserves in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s growing advocacy of nationalism and war has triggered a new debate in the country, with the opposition calling for sending 800,000 Syrian males in Turkey to fight in Syria before mobilizing Turkish army reserves.

Mideast braces for war: Israel vs. Iran-backed Hezbollah

Israel is threatening a new war against Hezbollah and its weapons plants in Lebanon and Syria.

Turkey continues hostilities in Afrin despite UN cease-fire

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to stay and slay a "dragon" in his military’s month long-campaign against a Kurdish militia in Syria, dismissing assertions from Western allies that the Security Council resolution is intended for the entire war-battered country.

Calls for truce fall on deaf ears in Syria's Ghouta

As Syria seeks to "liquidate" terrorists in eastern Ghouta, escalated fighting leaves little hope for the much-touted "de-escalation" zones.

Syrian Islamist factions join forces against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

The establishment of the new Syrian Liberation Front unifying the Ahrar al-Sham and Nour al-Din al-Zenki movements was swiftly followed by fierce battles between the new group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

A U.S. fighter stands near a military vehicle, north of Raqqa city, Syria November 6, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - S1AEULHHBDAA

US commander says Iraq sovereignty provides ‘legal basis’ for Syria presence

The Pentagon’s top commander in the Middle East told lawmakers today that protecting Iraq’s sovereignty provides the “legal basis” for US involvement in Syria.

Czechs release Syrian Kurdish leader, won't extradite to Turkey

Syrian Kurdish leader Salih Muslim has been released from detention in Prague, leaving Turkey fuming.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shows the way to his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, December 20, 2016. REUTERS/Pavel Golovkin/Pool - RC1A9217F4F0

Russia's call for dialogue with Assad irritates Ankara

Pro-government Turkish analysts say Moscow’s call for dialogue between Ankara and Damascus over Afrin is an effort to sideline Turkish aims in Syria.

An Iraqi security forces member holds a position as they advance towards the Salaheddine province in the western desert bordering Syria, on November 26, 2017, in a bid to flush out remaining Islamic State (IS) group fighters in the al-Jazeera region.
Iraqi forces thrust north from the Euphrates Valley into the desert a day earlier, opening up a new front in the drive to flush out fugitive Islamic State group fighters, a commander told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Mahmud SALEH (Photo credit should read MAHMUD S

Local Iraqi forces keep eye on border as life resumes

As the Syrian Democratic Forces pull out of positions along the Syrian-Iraqi border and civilians return to the nearby town of Qaim, several remaining security forces are coordinating to maintain the peace.