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

Palmyra

Syria

October 30, 2026

Damascus 6:15 am

16°C

A general view shows the Awad oil field in the eastern Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, on Feb. 15, 2026.

Interview

US oil firm HKN aims to double Syria's output as it takes over Kurdish-run fields

HKN Vice President Matthew Zais tells Al-Monitor the company plans to double production at Syria’s northeastern oil fields while tackling pollution, as questions remain over the future of the Kurdish-run Jazira Oil Company.

Matthew Zais

Matthew Zais

HKN vice president for government affairs

Zaidi

Iraq's Zaidi meets Sharaa on first Syria visit: What to know

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to assuage concerns about his past militant activity in Iraq, whose oil trade and security cooperation with his two country is rising.

Mourners attend the funeral of those who were killed in airstrikes carried out by Jordan the night before on the village of Al-Taf in the Al-Lajat region, located in the northeastern countryside of Daraa, on Oct. 27, 2026.

Syria slams Jordan over crossborder strikes, denies coordination: What to know

Jordan said its airstrikes targeted ISIS fighters, while Syria said civilians were killed, sparking outrage.

Latest News

Culture

Syrian women easy target in Sharaa’s drive to consolidate power

New female cadets from the new women's police academy attend the first cohort graduation ceremony after completing a six-month training program, in al-Tal on the northern outskirts of Damascus, on Sept. 22, 2026.

Analysis

How Israel’s elections could bring thaw with Syria

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly gathering, UN Headquarters, New York, Sept. 22, 2026.

Ezgi Akin

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

Analysis

How Hormuz crisis is reshaping economic ties between Iraq and Syria

Trucks loaded with goods wait to cross over to Syria

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

Analysis

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

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

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

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

Israeli Arabs Attack Al Jazeera Crew

Following the assault on an Al Jazeera crew in the Arab-Israeli town of Sakhnin, Shlomi Eldar wonders why the Qatari news network is considered as the “bad guy” when it comes to Syria.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana speaks during the Israeli Presidential Conference in Jerusalem October 21, 2009. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM POLITICS) - RTXPUPG

Solana: Syria War May Be Obstacle to Iran Nuclear Talks

Javier Solana, former NATO secretary-general and foreign policy chief for the European Union, warns that the Syria war is threatening the unity of nations negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program.

A man rides his motorcycle near damaged fuel tanker trucks in Tripoli, northern Lebanon March 15, 2013. Seven Syria-bound fuel tanker trucks were burned and destroyed in Tripoli on Friday, according to the National News Agency. REUTERS/Omar Ibrahim (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST ENERGY) - RTR3F10L

Lebanon's 'Fuel War' Linked To Syrian Conflict

Opponents of the Syrian government in Lebanon are blocking transportation of diesel into Syria, reports Nasser Chararah.

Patriot missile installation is pictured at a positions near the city of Kahramanmaras, February 23, 2013. Germany's defence minister inspected Patriot missile batteries close to the Syria-Turkey border on Saturday and said they delivered a "clear warning" to Damascus that NATO would not tolerate missiles being fired into Turkey. Thomas de Maiziere and his Dutch counterpart Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert travelled to the Turkish cities of Adana and Kahramanmaras to inspect the batteries provided by their countr

No-Fly Zone Debate: Are the Patriots Up to It?

Patriot missiles stationed in Turkey have been the subject of debate as officials and those on the ground consider the feasibility of enforcing a no-fly zone in Syria, writes Fernande van Tets.

A Free Syrian Army fighter takes position inside a room as he points his weapon through a hole in Aleppo's Saif al-Dawla district March 20, 2013. REUTERS/Giath Taha (SYRIA - Tags: CONFLICT) - RTR3F8E4

Arming the Syrian Opposition Is No Solution

Controlling the spread of arms may not be possible if the only solution to end the bloodshed in Syria is by arming the opposition, writes Tulin Daloglu.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati gestures before delivering a news conference at the Grand Serail, the government headquarters in Beirut, March 22, 2013. Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced his resignation on Friday after Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies blocked the creation of a body to supervise parliamentary elections and opposed extending the term of a senior security official. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3FCDT

Hezbollah Says External Pressures Forced the Mikati Resignation

Sources close to Hezbollah consider the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati to be the result of pressure from outisde powers, writes Nasser Chararah.

Heads of Arab states gather ahead of a group photo during the opening of the Arab League summit in Doha March 26, 2013. Russia criticised the Arab League on Wednesday for giving a seat formerly held by the Syrian government to a representative of the Syrian opposition at a summit in Doha. Picture taken March 26, 2013. REUTERS/Egyptian Presidency/Handout (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CA

Arab League Summit Is About More Than Syria

The Arab League summit dealt not only with the controversial issue of seating the Syrian opposition, but also with Arab citizenship and civil society, writes Clovis Maksoud.

A view is seen of damaged buildings at Baba Amro neighborhood in Homs city, after clashes between forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and fighters of the Free Syrian Army, is seen in this handout photograph distributed by Syria's national news agency SANA March 27, 2013. REUTERS/SANA/Handout (SYRIA - Tags: CONFLICT CIVIL UNREST RELIGION) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. FOR EDITORIA

The European Dilemmas On Arming Syrian Rebels

An initiative to lift the European Union’s arms embargo to Syria and increase support to rebels has been met with strong EU opposition; the EU is unlikely to move further on that issue.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) chats with Jordan's King Abdullah (C) and his son Crown Prince Hussein during a meeting at Al-Hummar Palace in Amman in this March 22, 2013 handout photo by the Jordanian Royal Palace. REUTERS/Yousef Allan/Jordanian Royal Palace/Handout (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS ROYALS)

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERV

Will Jordan Allow Syria's Palestinian Refugees to Resettle?

As the 2-year-old civil war in Syria drags on and refugees continue to stream from Syria into Jordan, Adnan Abu Amer asks whether Jordan will consider resettling Syria’s Palestinian refugees.

An Israeli tank is transported on a truck to the Israeli Syrian border in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights March 24, 2013. Israel said it fired into Syria on Sunday and destroyed a machinegun position in the Golan Heights from where shots had been fired at Israeli soldiers in a further spillover of the Syrian civil war along a tense front. Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981 in a move not recognized internationally. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (MILITARY POLITICS) -

Israeli Soldiers Enter Syrian Golan Heights

After Israel was forced to rescue UN forces in the Golan Heights, the UN warned of instability in the Syrian Golan and the danger posed by Syrian rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda, reports Inna Lazareva.

A supporter holds a Syrian opposition flag during a demonstration at the Ennahda party "Youth Festival" organized by the Renaissance Movement at the Conference Palace in Tunis December 23, 2012. The event is part of a celebration for the second anniversary of the Tunisian revolution. REUTERS/Anis Mili (TUNISIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST ANNIVERSARY) - RTR3BV0G

Tunisian Jihadists Fighting in Syria

Many of the foreign fighters in Syria hail from Tunisia, while Tunisia struggles to deal with its own internal problems, writes Nesrine Hamedi.

Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, carrying pro-Palestinian activists to take part of a humanitarian convoy, leaves from Sarayburnu port in Istanbul May 22, 2010. Picture taken May 22, 2010. Israeli commandos stormed Gaza-bound aid ships on Monday and at least 10 pro-Palestinian activists on board were killed, unleashing a diplomatic crisis and charges of a "massacre" from the Palestinian president. REUTERS/Emrah Dalkaya (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR2EL3O

Syrian Crisis Plays Major Role In Israeli Apology

Israel apologized to Turkey for the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident to keep Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the side of United States and Israel — and in line.