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Syria

May 2, 2026

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Crops of wheat and barley in Terbol village on May 10, 2022, in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

Analysis

MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers

Home to many of the world's largest wheat importers, the Middle East and North Africa face acute food security risks as the US-Israel-Iran war disrupts global fertilizer flows and pushes up prices.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A young man stands in the entrance of tunnels that were used by the ISIS and the Assad's regime for fighting. Tadamon, Syria, February 7, 2025. (Photo by Raghed Waked / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by RAGHED WAKED/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Syria arrests Amjad Youssef, Tadamoun massacre perpetrator: What to know

Amjad Youssef appeared on video, allegedly killing dozens of civilians in 2013; he is the latest member of the Assad regime to be captured by the new Syrian government.

President of Syria Ahmed al-Shara arrives for the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at UN Headquarters on Sept. 23, 2025 in New York City.

Analysis

'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance

Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives ahead of a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in central London on March 31, 2026.

Syria’s Sharaa makes fourth visit to Saudi Arabia, first since Iran war: What to know

The visit comes in light of the deepening economic relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia post-Assad.

Latest News

How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance

Members of Iraq's security forces stand guard on the the al-Rabia border crossing with Syria on April 20, 2026.

EU to restore Syria cooperation pact ahead of May talks: What to know

Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP via Getty Images

Sharaa distances Syria from Iran war, says Israel talks ongoing: What to know

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish Presient Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey April 17, 2026.

Analysis

Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds?

Kurdish people waving Kurdistan flags gather to celebrate Nowruz on the hill of Urkesh in the countryside of Amuda in northeastern Syria on March 18, 2026. Nowruz, meaning "new day," is an ancient festival that marks the start of spring and the new year on the vernal equinox, which usually falls on March 20 or 21. It is celebrated by more than 300 million people worldwide and has been observed for over 3,000 years across regions including the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus and parts of Eastern Euro

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

Russian Navy's reconnaissance ship Liman of the Black Sea fleet sails in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, October 21, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2PW0Q

Israel wary of Russian comeback to the region

Russia has extended its presence in the region to such an extent that any IDF jet crossing the Israeli border in the north immediately appears on Russian military radar screens.

(From L-R), Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, speak togethe

Are Egyptian-Saudi disputes just a passing crisis or a decisive storm?

Egyptian-Saudi squabbles over Syria and Yemen have gone viral, and some worry that this will have a lasting negative effect on the relationship between Cairo and Riyadh.

A Kurdish fighter from the People's Protection Units (YPG) carries his weapon as he stands past a tank in the Ghwairan neighborhood of Hasaka, Syria, August 22, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2MKNR

Did Putin give green light to Turkish attack on US-backed Syrian Kurds?

Kurds again in crosshairs as Turkey weighs options in Mosul.

A bridge over the Euphrates river is seen in Falluja after government forces recaptured the city from Islamic State militants, Iraq, June 27, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2IHKR

The battle of the Euphrates islands: The last stages in the fight against IS

In conjunction with the Mosul operation, the Iraqi army has launched an operation in Anbar province to liberate islands in the Euphrates River that are under Islamic State control and are used as IS safe havens.

Syrian regime promotes another image of the war-torn country

The Syrian state media has been promoting a false image of the country and its capital, spreading images of untouched cities and holding entertainment events, while the war rages on in the opposition areas.

REFILE - ADDITIONAL CAPTION INFORMATIONIraqi army gather after the liberation of a village from Islamic State militants, south of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 21, 2016, as toxic smoke is seen over the area after Islamic State militants set fire to a sulphur factory. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudan TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2PXNT

Turkey’s misguided policies now haunt it at Mosul

Turkey criticizes the Mosul operation but is doing everything possible to be part of it.

Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton finish their third and final 2016 presidential campaign debate at UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., October 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2PMHB

Russia's Mideast role hot topic in final Clinton-Trump debate

The release of Democratic emails to WikiLeaks may have been less about helping a Republican candidate Russians see as unpredictable and more about fending off US interference in Russia's 2018 presidential election.

Displaced people who fled Islamic State militants from Mosul receive aid at Deepaka camp in the northwest of Erbil, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani - RTX2PQDQ

Mosul adds to staggering world refugee crisis

With the highest number of refugees and displaced people since World War II and continued brutal conflicts in Syria, Iraq and beyond forcing millions to flee, humanitarians lament a broken system running from crisis to crisis.

In this setup photo a woman looks at the cover of the comic book "Madaya Mom" in Washington, DC on October 7, 2016.
The book, titled "Madaya Mom," is available online for free on the ABC News website. ABC News has been in contact with a woman from the syrian town of Madaya, near the lebanese border. Madaya has been held under siege by the syrian regim army for the better part of the last two years. The woman, who's a mother of five, has sent messages to describe her everyday life. These messages were used a

Syrian mother becomes Marvel’s latest superhero

After following the story of one Syrian woman and her five children in Madaya, ABC News teamed up with Marvel Comics to share her story in a free digital comic.

Smoke rises from a bomb attack south of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2PQIP

How Ankara plans to repeat Syria success in Iraq

Ankara seems to have contingency plans for every situation to make its presence felt in Mosul.

SANLIURFA, TURKEY - OCTOBER 19: (TURKEY OUT) A fighter jet flies above the Syrian town of Kobani on October 19, 2014 in Sanliurfa, Turkey. Kurdish fighters in Syrian city of Kobani have pushed back Islamic State militants in a number of locations as U.S. air strikes on ISIS positions continue in and around the city. In the past month more than 200,000 people from Kobani have fled into Turkey. (Photo by Gokhan Sahin/Getty Images)

What Turkish raid on Syrian Kurds means for Ankara-Washington ties

Turkey's decision to launch airstrikes on fighters for the Kurdish People's Protection Units in Syria could have a major impact on Washington's efforts to balance relations with Ankara.

(From L-R), Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, speak togethe

How Syria is pushing Egypt and Iran closer

Converging views on Syria appear to be leading to real mutual support between regional powers Iran and Egypt.