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

Palmyra

Syria

October 18, 2026

Damascus 4:35 am

18°C

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

Analysis

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

The Israeli leader revealed that he spoke with the Syrian president last year, but stalled talks and Israel's fortification of a security zone on Syrian land underscore his mistrust of Sharaa.

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

An attendee walks past signage displayed inside the venue for the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok on October 14, 2026. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP via Getty Images)

Syria to rejoin Arab group at IMF, leaving Russian-led constituency

Syria will rejoin the Arab constituency at the International Monetary Fund beginning Nov. 1 and has applied for membership in the EBRD.

Mihrac Ural, who was also known as Ali Kayali, was arrested

Explainer

Syria arrests Mihrac Ural, ex-Assad militia head also wanted by Turkey

The Turkey-born militia chief and a longtime ally of the Assad-regime, was sought by Ankara over the deadly Reyhanli bombings and by Damascus over his alleged role in massacres on the Mediterranean coast.

Latest News

In first, Israel’s Netanyahu says he held call with Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa

Analysis

Why Syria and Iraq are taking different approaches to armed groups

Demonstrators ride through a street while waving Syrian flags

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

Culture

Syria reopens Aleppo's 1,300-year-old Great Umayyad Mosque after 13 years

A view of the Great Umayyad Mosque during the reopening ceremony, Oct. 8, 2026.

Analysis

Why Syria sending troops to Yemen would be a risky bet for Sharaa

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Oct. 6, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

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

A Turkish army tank drives towards to the border in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX2MYVY

Ankara not backing down from Iraq intervention

A week after announcing an end to operations in Syria, Turkey announced that it plans to launch a military operation in Iraq against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Sinjar, a move guaranteed to outrage the Baghdad government.

Assad’s departure still non-starter for Putin

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s comment on "orderly" transition could offer a face-saving spark for Syria political talks; Hezbollah’s No. 2 disavows "ambitions" in Syria; did Iran benefit from US missile strike? Sistani seeks restraints on Iraqi armed groups looking to fight in Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson enter a hall during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, April 12, 2017. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX356VZ

What did Tillerson’s Russia trip achieve?

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t reach any groundbreaking pacts during Tillerson's visit to Moscow, but they agreed to keep trying.

Israeli Arab lawmakers from the Joint Arab List (from L to R) Osama Saadi, Ahmed Tibi, Ayman Odeh, Masud Ganaim and Haneen Zoabi stand in front of the Dome of the Rock during a visit to the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City July 28, 2015. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RTX1M321

Israeli Arabs divided over Assad

The Israeli Arab Joint List party didn’t straightforwardly condemn the gas attack in Idlib, thus provoking the ire of many Israeli-Arab citizens.

A general view shows damaged buildings in the Waer district in the central Syrian city of Homs, Syria September 19, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RTSOFCN

Syrian regime evacuates civilians from last rebel-held area in Homs

After a deal was struck between the Syrian regime and opposition forces in the al-Waer neighborhood of Homs, waves of newly displaced are headed for Jarablus, al-Bab and Idlib.

A Palestinian Fatah gunman carries his weapon and he attempts to cross a street at the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon, southern Lebanon April 10, 2017. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX34VZC

Who is behind new round of violence in Lebanon refugee camp?

The Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon has witnessed heavy clashes between factions linked to a jihadi cell and the Palestinian Joint Security Force.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stand up to leave after a news conference following their talks in Moscow, Russia, April 12, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTX35AP1

Tillerson: Russia has 'best means' to convince Assad to go

On his first trip to Russia as secretary of state, Rex Tillerson met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow to discuss steps to try to reverse the decline in relations between the United States and Russia.

A "David's Sling" launcher system can be seen during a ceremony in which Israel declared its "David's Sling" intermediate-range air defence shield fully operational, at Hatzor air base in southern Israel April 2, 2017. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RTX33Q6D

Is Israel prepared for all missile threats?

Israel's now-operational David Sling’s medium-range missile defense system, along with the rest of its arsenal, should assist the country in protecting itself against any coordinated attack by Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Iran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 28, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTX331H1

Will US missile strike shift Iran-Russia partnership in Syria?

The US military strike on a Syrian air base has created room at the table for more Russian and Iranian cooperation in Syria as the last allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad standing.

West Bank cafe transports customers to Damascus

The Demashq cafe in the West Bank city of Jenin mimics the architecture and atmosphere of a traditional Damascus cafe, taking customers back to the days of a peaceful Syria.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference after the talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 10, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool - RTS12BWW

Ankara welcomes US action in Syria, but doubts remain

Opinion in Turkey is divided after Washington’s missile strike on Syria, reflecting a mix of enthusiasm, wishful thinking and realism.

Iraq's Shiite clerics show no love for Assad

It shouldn't have come as a surprise when Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to relinquish power, as other Shiite leaders have previously also criticized the Assad regime.