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
US should test Russia on Islamic State With the complicated regional dynamics of the Syrian war, the US could benefit from Russian assistance. Syria
Blind couple displaced by Syria war rebuild life in Egypt A Syrian couple displaced to Egypt decide to stay put and not accept the UNHCR offer for resettlement in France. Egypt
A glimmer of hope for Egypt's Syrian refugee children An Egyptian NGO in 6th of October City is making efforts to prevent Syrian children from dropping out of school. Egypt
Iran pulls Palestine from the margins The Iranian leadership turns out in force for Palestinian conference; Turkey’s victory in al-Bab may be a prelude to a showdown with the Syrian Kurds. Palestine
Residents of Syria's Deir ez-Zor fear IS massacre As it loses ground in Mosul, the Islamic State is more determined than ever to gain ground in Deir ez-Zor, and its takeover could spell disaster for the civilians who have remained in the area. Syria
GOP divided over calling out Assad war crimes Two-thirds of the Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee declined to join their chairman’s call for accountability for Syrian war crimes. Syria
Turkey, Kurds project confidence as Pentagon plans next Syria moves With the Pentagon close to producing new plans to defeat the Islamic State in Syria, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units and Turkish leaders both insist that the United States will pursue an alliance with them, and US officials keep feeding hopes on both sides. Syria
No breakthrough expected at new Syria talks Expectations were modest for a new round of Syria talks set to get underway in Geneva Feb. 23, with the new US administration still formulating its policies. Syria
Turkish-Iranian rivalry hits peak as Syria talks kick off Both countries accuse each other of destabilizing the region and undermining security in Iraq and Syria. Syria
Israel defense minister: We must coordinate moves with Trump In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman confirmed that he still supports a two-state solution, but one involving population as well as land swaps and as one part of a regional agreement. Palestine
What's really happening in Syria's al-Bab? Everyone wants to know what's coming next in Syria — but it is hard enough to figure out what is going on right now. Syria
Refugee influx to Turkey sharply rises In the past five months, 551,000 new refugees arrived in Turkey, raising the total number to 3.551 million and the monthly cost to host them to $590 million. Syria
