Syria arrivals surge 111% as government bets on tourism revival The country welcomed 3.52 million visitors during the first half of 2026, more than double the figure recorded a year earlier, as the government pushes to reconnect to the world and promote tourism as a pillar of economic recovery. Syria
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. Lebanon
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near Tehran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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. Syria
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Kremlin confirms S-400 talks with Turkey By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran hits Gulf, warns Hormuz will reopen on its terms By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Rights organizations rally to reveal fate of Syria’s disappeared As the number of disappeared has reached more than 75,000 people in Syria, Amnesty International launched a campaign urging the Syrian authorities and armed groups to reveal their fate. Lebanon
Iran-Syria soccer game surrounded by major controversy Iranian authorities stir controversy by allowing Syrian women to attend a soccer World Cup qualifier while refusing to let in Iranian women. Syria
Ankara must go through US, Russia to get to YPG Recent developments on the ground suggest that any new Syria incursion by Turkey could encounter unexpected obstacles. Syria
Hundreds of Russian children found in Mideast orphanages Children ripped from their homes in Russia and secreted off by relatives said to be fighting for the Islamic State are now turning up abandoned in the Middle East. Iraq
Pro-Iranian Shiite factions lose popular support in Iraq The recent agreement between Hezbollah and a group of pro-Islamic State fighters to arrange their evacuation from the Lebanese-Syrian border to the Syrian-Iraqi border triggered an outburst of public anger against Hezbollah and Iraqi factions fighting alongside Hezbollah on Syrian territory for years. Iraq
Iran plays Hamas card Iran's improved relations with Turkey, Qatar and Hamas send a message to the region. Palestine
Israel slow to recalibrate on Syria Israel's original assessment of the Syrian war is no longer relevant, and the state must make strategic changes to face the threat of the regime, which is likely to remain in power with Iran's patronage. Israel
Turkish-backed rebels exchange daily fire with SDF in Aleppo In the northern countryside of Aleppo, the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, retaliates to the shelling from Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, pushing civilians to leave their homes. Syria
Stranded by US airstrikes, IS fighters fleeing Lebanon retreat to Syria The Pentagon says it will leave the militants alone if they don't try to link up with Islamic State forces on the Iraqi border. Iraq
US troop numbers in Iraq, Syria could surge under new accounting rules The Pentagon wants to stop undercounting temporarily deployed fighters and allow for the deployment of more support personnel needed in the war against the Islamic State. Iraq
With Iran's help, Hamas reaches out to Syrian regime Iran is working as mediator as Hamas' new leadership takes steps to restore its severed ties with Syria. Palestine
