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

Palmyra

Syria

May 4, 2026

Damascus 9:46 am

16°C

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

Is Syria bringing Iran, Egypt together?

Egypt's seemingly shared interests with the Syrian government may provide grounds for improved relations with Iran.

Don't underestimate Free Syrian Army

The Free Syrian Army is playing a larger, more successful role in the revolution than media coverage reflects.

Members of the Lebanese Army's airborne regiment perform a live drill, held as part of a weapons exhibition during the Security Middle East Show in Beirut, as a sandstorm engulfed Lebanon for a second day September 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir - RTSBDO

Lebanon reaps weapons windfall from Congress

The tiny state has gone from pariah to partner thanks to the Islamic State.

Palestine’s UN envoy: Multilateralism is the way forward

In a recent interview Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour stipulated that if the Israeli-Arab conflict is not addressed, any plan for peace in the region is futile.

Davutoglu proposes refugee 'container city'

Davutoglu, while advocating a container city for refugees in a safe zone, is ignoring the serious risks it would entail.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin look towards one another during their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York September 28, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTX1SYAC

Congress hesitant to share IS intelligence with Putin, Assad

Lawmakers are ambivalent about greater cooperation in countering foreign fighters.

Will Russia’s move ruin Erdogan’s plan for Syria?

Will Turkey’s rules of engagement against Syrian planes now apply to Russian planes flying near the Turkish border?

Congress pursues 'death by 1,000 cuts' strategy against Iran deal

A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Sept. 28.

Will US, Russia find common ground in Syria?

A common enemy, the Islamic State, should be the first step in an expanded international coalition; does Iraqi Kurdistan face the prospect of "administrative breakup"?

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil talks during an interview with Reuters at his office in Beirut September 10, 2015. Arab countries should share the burden in supporting and hosting Syrian refugees, Bassil said on Thursday, highlighting the pressure a growing crisis has put on Syria's immediate neighbours. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi - RTSIRQ

Lebanese foreign minister: We cannot be the only ones receiving refugees

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Gebran Bassil talks about the Syrian refugee crisis and the effects of the presidential vacancy on his country.

President of Iran Hassan Rouhani arrives during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2015, at the United Nations in New York. AFP PHOTO/Dominick Reuter (Photo credit should read DOMINICK REUTER/AFP/Getty Images)

Rouhani blasts Saudi 'ineptitude' for hajj tragedy

In a wide-ranging conversation with senior representatives of US media, Hassan Rouhani said the nuclear deal, if implemented, could be “something to build on” in US-Iran relations and efforts to resolve other regional conflicts, but offered no details.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen delivering his speech to the U.S. Congress on television screens in an electronics store in a Jerusalem shopping mall March 3, 2015. Netanyahu warned U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday against accepting a nuclear deal with Iran that would be a "countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare" by a country that "will always be an enemy of America". REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR4RWX2

What Israel should do about Iran

Israel, if it fully takes into account the Mideast's yawning Sunni-Shiite divide, could benefit from reconsidering its point of view on Iran.