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Syria

July 16, 2026

Damascus 5:46 pm

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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.

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

Explainer

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

French President Emmanuel Macron became the first Western leader to visit Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, showcasing Paris' support for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa while seeking to secure a share of the country's emerging reconstruction market.

Latest News

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.

Explainer

French energy, shipping giants explore Syria deals during Macron visit

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shakes hands with France's President Emmanuel Macron following a joint press conference in Damascus on July 7, 2026.

Macron's Syria visit eyes to boost France's economic role: What to know

Ludovic MARIN / 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

Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), speaks during an electoral rally for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Arbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region on April 29, 2018. (Photo by SAFIN HAMED / AFP) (Photo credit should read SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images)

Barzani: Russia key to settlement between Assad and Syrian Kurds

Manbij leaders prefer the United States, but would rather deal with Russia and Syria than Turkey; Amberin Zaman gets exclusive access to a prison for IS terrorists; did HTS force the resignation of a Syrian opposition leader?; Syrians protest Turkish truckers; Rouhani’s meeting with Sistani is "crowning achievement" of trip to Iraq.

Three men that Democratic Forces of Syria fighters claimed were Islamic State fighters sit on a pick-up truck while being held as prisoners, near al-Shadadi town, Hasaka countryside, Syria, February 18, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - GF10000314445

Inside the prison holding IS detainees in northeast Syria

Al-Monitor was the first Western media outlet to be granted access to the maximum security detention center in Derik, Syria, where many foreigners caught fighting for the Islamic State await their fate.

Digital safety training keeps Syrians from being arrested

A group of Syrians in al-Bab are working as part of the SalamaTech project to train people on the risks of using cellphones and the internet, in light of the regime’s arrests.

Comics expo draws crowds in Beirut

A Beirut comic and graphic novel exhibition promoted the educational and journalistic values of the art form in the Middle East.

Iraq set to try Islamic State detainees according to local laws

Iraq has received hundreds of Islamic State detainees from Syria and is preparing to try them in Iraqi courts.

A plume of smoke is seen during fighting in the Islamic State's final enclave, in the village of Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, Syria March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC144AAE1F50

Pentagon seeks $2 billion cut for Islamic State fight

The new US defense budget would cut funding to defeat IS by 20% as President Trump targets a withdrawal from Syria by the end of April.

Is this the end of the Syrian Interim Government?

The resignation of Jawad Abu Hatab as prime minister of the Syrian National Coalition-backed Syrian Interim Government raises doubts about the future of the endeavor in light of advancements by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib province.

Jordan’s Syrian refugees are not going home anytime soon

Only a few thousand of the more than 600,000 registered Syrian refugees have returned home from Jordan since the war started in 2011, sparking fears about the kingdom’s capacities to bear the costs of hosting.

Syrian truckers fear for jobs as Turkish drivers cross border

Turkish trucks have been entering Syria through the recently opened Bab al-Salam crossing, to the protests of Syrian truckers and shippers.

A rebel fighter rides on a motorbike as people take a selfie on a road in Quneitra, Syria July 27, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RC1305C71BB0

Trump budget nixes aid to opposition-held Syria

The Donald Trump administration is doubling down on its decision to eliminate economic and stabilization aid for Syria amid its pending troop withdrawal.

A member of Manbij Military Council gestures at a car in Manbij city, Syria December 29, 2018. Picture taken December 29, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC1EFBFDDC70

Russian forces will defend Manbij 'the minute Americans leave'

The Manbij Military Council and Russian commanders have made a verbal agreement over who will defend Manbij when the United States leaves, and Turkey is not part of the equation.

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops in an unannounced visit to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq December 26, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC1801320710

Parliament bill may not prevent US troops from staying in Iraq

Iraq is smack in the middle of a tug of war between the United States and Iran for influence in the Mideast and faces some tough decisions.