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Syria

July 18, 2026

Damascus 11:48 am

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Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP via Getty Images

Syria seizes arms shipment on Iraq border destined for Hezbollah

The operation comes as part of the Syrian authorities' efforts to curb illicit arms smuggling through its territory, namely intended for Hezbollah.

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.

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

Iraqi and Turkish soldiers wave flags at the Habur Border Gate between Turkey and Iraq in this still image taken from video, October 31, 2017. IHA/ via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. TURKEY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN TURKEY. PART NO ACCESS TURKEY.? - RC19E8A7C400

Turkey poised to open a military front in Iraq

Improved relations between Iraq and Turkey have raised the possibility of a joint offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq.

The Erbil International Airport is seen in Erbil, Iraq September 29, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RC19D0FD09E0

Iraqi Kurdistan’s not so friendly skies opening again soon

Baghdad to formally take charge of Kurdistan Region airports and borders; shift in Syria strategy by Moscow may follow Russian presidential election; Jordan’s king and Turkish president find common ground.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attend a state awards ceremony for military personnel who served in Syria, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia December 28, 2017. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1FBBAD3FD0

Russia considering course change after new challenges in Syria

As Russia's presidential election approaches, Moscow finds itself recently pressured by several negative developments in Syria that are causing it to re-evaluate its strategy there.

Syrian children in Lebanon express their plight with poetry

An exhibition in Beirut combines poems written by Syrian children with Lebanese and Syrian artists’ paintings, drawings and sculptures.

Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) military police members demonstrate with their flags in the Kurdish town of Al-Muabbadah in the northeastern part of Hassakah province on February 24, 2018, denouncing the Turkish military operation against YPG forces in the northwestern Kurdish enclave of Afrin. / AFP PHOTO / Delil souleiman (Photo credit should read DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Erdogan lashes out at US over support for Syrian Kurdish fighters

The president renewed his criticism of Turkey’s NATO partner after a US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia said it would deploy troops to Afrin province to battle the Turkish army.

Opposition fighters look out over Lake Maydanki, north of the Syrian city of Afrin, after they took control of the nearby village of Ali Bazan on March 4, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Nazeer al-Khatib (Photo credit should read NAZEER AL-KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images)

Anti-IS coalition paralyzed as YPG faces Turkey

As Turkey's Operation Olive Branch diverts Syrian Kurdish forces from the coalition fighting the Islamic State, a growing number of analysts believe that Washington’s efforts to simultaneously manage Kurdish, Turkish and Russian expectations in Syria are starting to unravel.

Ghouta.com brings Eastern Ghouta's ordeal to the world

Volunteers in Ghouta and Turkey manage an online platform that provides information on the situation in besieged Eastern Ghouta with the hope of bringing the brutal assault there to an end.

A picture taken on March 2, 2018 shows a Turkish army Black Hawk helicopter (front) and a T129 ATAK attack helicopter flying towards the village of Al-Maabatli in the Afrin region in the northwestern Aleppo province countryside as part of the ongoing offensive. / AFP PHOTO / Bakr ALKASEM (Photo credit should read BAKR ALKASEM/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey moves to take key town in Afrin operation

Turkish jets attacked the northern Syrian town of Jindires with the ultimate goal of encircling the city of Afrin.

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.