On eighth visit, Israel’s Netanyahu seeks to repair ties with Trump Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to focus on Iran in his Tuesday meeting with President Donald Trump, while the US leader is more likely to want to discuss Lebanon and Syria. United States
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says it doesn’t seek to resume negotiations with Washington Sharaa says Syria seeks security deal with Israel; Red Sea shipping slows after Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Kremlin confirms S-400 talks with Turkey By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Will Homs truce be repeated in Aleppo? Hezbollah sources indicate that efforts are underway, including interventions by Iranian and Turkish authorities, to repeat the truce reached in Homs last month in Aleppo. Syria
Syrian Kurds continue to blame Turkey for backing ISIS militants In a report from northeast Syria, Syrian Kurds, locked in a bloody battle with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), also fear a potential clash with Syrian government forces. Iraq
Refugees help spark Turkish trade with Syria Despite the war, Turkish-Syrian trade is growing in several sectors, fueled in part by the influx of Syrian refugees. Syria
Displaced Syrians target of new Lebanon law A recent law to revoke the displaced status of Syrian refugees if they return to Syria was meant to prevent Syrians from voting in the June 3 elections. Lebanon
European women find appeal in Syrian jihad Radical European Muslim women are traveling to Syria to marry jihadist fighters and provide support. Syria
Hamas sees Russia visit as means to end regional isolation Hamas political bureau leader Khaled Meshaal will visit Moscow in the coming weeks, where he is expected to ask Russia to help restore Hamas' ties with Iran and to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to soften his opposition to the Islamist movement. Palestine
Syria confident of Russian military support In an interview with Al-Monitor in Damascus, a senior Syrian official said the Syrian war would end like the Algerian one, with the state defeating the terrorists and staying in power. Syria
Syrian coast attracts Aleppans displaced by war Thousands of mostly Sunnis from Aleppo fleeing the violence in their city have found work, and little discrimination, on the Alawite-dominated Syrian coast. Syria
Displaced young Syrians find home in Gaziantep cafe A hip cafe in Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, has become a refuge for young, educated Syrian refugees. Syria
Liberman outlines vision for 'regional arrangement' with Arab states Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman offers a plan for open contacts with "moderate" Arab states to deal with the threat from Iran and in pursuit of an agreement with the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia
Syrian official: 'West will deal with us as a fait accompli' With presidential elections in Syria scheduled for June 3, a Syrian official says, "Turkey will suffer greatly from its involvement against us." Near East
Film tracks Syrian refugees' creative journey to asylum A group of Palestinian Syrian refugees performed a mock wedding ceremony to bypass security checks as they crossed Europe from the Mediterranean to reach asylum in Sweden. Palestine
