Syria

Syria Leader Makes First Visit to Wealthy Emirates

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose war-devastated country seeks Gulf financial support, traveled to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for his first visit since Bashar al-Assad's overthrow, state media said. Nearly a week after rebels toppled Assad in December, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said his government found ...

Salam on 50th Anniversary of Civil War: Time to Rebuild a State Protected by Its Army

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who laid a wreath of flowers at the Martyrs’ Monument in central Beirut on the 50th anniversary of the commemoration of the Lebanese Civil War on Sunday, said, “We must learn from the tragedies of the war and it is time to rebuild our state capable of protecting us through its army.” On the occasion, he ...

Army Seizes Truck Carrying Captagon Manufacturing Equipment in Hermel

An Army unit, in coordination with a patrol from the Intelligence Directorate, seized a truck carrying equipment used for Captagon production along with raw materials used in narcotics manufacturing in Sammaka, Hermel on Saturday, April 12. According to a statement issued by the Army Command – Directorate of Orientation, “the seized items ...

Syrian Forces Deploy at Key Dam Under Deal with Kurds

Security forces from the new Islamist government in Damascus deployed Saturday around a strategic dam in northern Syria, under a deal with the autonomous Kurdish administration, state media reported. Under the agreement, Kurdish-led fighters of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will pull back from the dam, which they captured from the ...

Erdogan Accuses Israel of Destabilizing Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused Israel of sowing divisions in Syria in a bid to "dynamite" the "revolution" that toppled strongman Bashar al-Assad. Turkey is a key backer of Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led the rebel coalition which ousted Assad in December. "Israel ...

Syria Establishes Diplomatic Relations With South Korea

Syria and South Korea have established diplomatic relations for the first time, with embassies to be set up in their respective capitals, Damascus said on Thursday. A Syrian foreign ministry statement said Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Thursday received a South Korean delegation headed by Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. Cho was also ...

Kurdish Authorities and Syrian Government Reach Deal on Tishrin Dam

The Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria have struck a deal with the central government on running a key dam they captured from jihadists with US support, a Kurdish source said Thursday. "An agreement has been reached between the autonomous administration and the Syrian government for the management of the Tishrin Dam" on the Euphrates ...

Turkey and Israel Hold Talks to Ease Syria Tensions Amid Ongoing Gaza Rift

Turkey and Israel have started talks aimed at easing tensions over Syria, officials from both sides said Thursday. Israel has launched air strikes and ground incursions to keep Syrian forces away from its border. Turkey is a key backer of the Islamist-led coalition in Syria that toppled Bashar al-Assad in December. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan ...

Pro-Turkey Syria Groups Reduce Presence in Kurdish Area

Pro-Turkey Syrian groups have scaled down their military presence in an historically Kurdish-majority area of the country's north, which they have controlled since 2018, a Syrian defense ministry official said on Tuesday. The move follows an agreement signed last month between Syria's new authorities and Kurdish officials that provides for the ...

Syria Appoints Finance Expert as New Central Bank Governor

Syria's interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on Monday appointed Abdul Qadir al-Hasriya as governor of the war-battered country's central bank, state media reported. State news agency SANA posted a picture of Hasriya taking the oath as the new central bank chief in front of Sharaa, who on Monday led a first cabinet meeting to "discuss government ...

Trump Says Can 'Work Out' Israel-Turkey Tensions Over Syria

US President Donald Trump on Monday touted himself as a mediator between Israel and Turkey in their struggle over politically fragile Syria, where both countries are jostling for influence. Trump, speaking alongside key ally Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, touted his "great relations" with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip ...

The Enduring Allure of Foreign Guardianship in Lebanon

Morgan Ortagus arrives in Beirut, exuding both elegance and diplomatic poise, with a hairstyle and presence that radiate charm and beauty. As a US presidential special envoy, she stands out in the context of Lebanese politics. Yet, in essence, she remains no different from her predecessors throughout Lebanon’s history, despite the distinct ...