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
Refugees’ fate in limbo as Iraqi Kurdistan referendum nears The Sept. 25 referendum on independence in Iraqi Kurdistan may turn the predominantly Sunni Arab displaced community into a new source of tension between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region. Iraq
Netanyahu raising alarm on Iran, again Israel has told US and Russian officials that Iran’s long-term strategies and its missile capabilities endanger the region. Saudi Arabia
Ankara makes overtures to Idlib militants The English-language edition of Yeni Safak has reported that Turkey asked the group to dissolve itself and for the militants, who seized Idlib province last month after routing Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sham rebels, to relinquish the critical Bab al-Hawa border crossing linking Idlib to Turkey’s Hatay province. Syria
Tensions flare between US, Shiite factions in Iraq The recent escalation by Iran-affiliated Iraqi Shiite militias against US forces on the Iraqi-Syrian border may offer an early indication of the coming confrontation between the two sides after the Islamic State is eliminated from Iraq. Iraq
Turkish foundation helps Syrians recover from devastation of war The Turkiye Diyanet Foundation is restoring mosques in the Syrian province of Aleppo, recruiting preachers and teachers and providing hundreds of job opportunities. Syria
Turkey fumes as Sinjar Yazidis declare 'democratic autonomy' Some Yazidis have announced their opposition to the Iraqi Kurdistan independence vote, as Turkey and Iran consider attacking the Yazidi-allied PKK in the Qandil Mountains. Iraq
Turkey, Iran step up coordination in Syria Once unthinkable, an emerging consensus is developing between Ankara and Tehran in Syria, as Washington and Moscow try to keep pace; Iraqi Kurdish sources signal that it could be possible to delay a Kurdish independence referendum for a “short time.” Iraq
Iran army chief's Turkey tour ends in promises of military cooperation Regional rivals Turkey and Iran are exchanging visits by top officials, brought together by deeply ingrained fears that Western powers are covertly egging on their respective Kurdish populations to weaken and dismember them. Syria
Pentagon says captured Islamic State fighters hooked on drugs Syrian Democratic Forces have found an increasingly desperate detachment of militants using drugs, including amphetamines, to keep themselves in the fight. Syria
Kurds plan ahead for shifting status in Syria Syrian Kurds, worried by Turkey’s threat to enter Afrin and a possible rapprochement between Washington and Ankara, are firming up their plans for autonomy. Syria
Life returns to northern Aleppo region Recreational facilities are being established in the Euphrates Shield region controlled by the Free Syrian Army amid relative stability. Syria
Turkey faces Kurdish quandary in Iraq, Syria Ankara is finding it difficult to devise a holistic approach to the region’s Kurdish question. Syria
