This is Beirut

After Gaza’s Deal, A Momentum in the Region for More Peace Stability in Syria, Lebanon?

Seth J. Frantzman , 13/10 20:00 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria Gaza Hezbollah Iran Donald Trump United States

U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a peace deal to end the Gaza war has proven to be initially successful. He was able to bring together delegations from Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, and Hamas in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh in mid-October. In the wake of the deal, Trump flew to Israel and Egypt and chaired a peace summit ...

Syria: A Parliament Without Elections

This is Beirut, 10/10 20:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Syria Parliament

An appointed parliament, not an elected one. Women, minorities, entire regions: absent. On October 5, 2025, Syria appointed its first post-Assad parliament. But this process, carried out without free elections, excludes entire regions and raises serious questions about the representation of women and minorities. One-third of the seats will be ...

Beirut and Damascus Reopen Diplomatic Channels as al-Shaibani Visits Lebanon

This is Beirut, 10/10 13:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Joseph Aoun Syria lebanon Assaad al-Chibani Youssef Raggi

Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Raggi described the visit of his Syrian counterpart, Assaad al-Shaibani, to Beirut as the beginning of “a new chapter” in relations between Lebanon and Syria. Al-Shaibani arrived in the Lebanese capital on Friday morning at the head of a high-level delegation for a one-day official visit, signaling ...

Turkey and Syria Highlight Security Concerns and Gaza Talks

This is Beirut, 08/10 18:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Turkey Syrian Democratic Forces Syria Hakan Fidan Gaza Asaad al-Shaibani

In a joint press conference on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Turkey and Syria addressed a wide range of issues, from ongoing negotiations in Gaza to developments in southern Syria and the future of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that Israel’s military operations in southern Syria pose a ...

Syria Votes Again: Is Real Change Finally Possible?

Maroun Chahine, 08/10 16:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Damascus Syria

On Sunday, October 5, between 6,000 and 7,000 delegates cast votes at 62 polling stations across 11 governorates to elect Syria’s new legislative assembly. The People’s Assembly will have 210 seats, 119 of which have been filled so far, 40 fewer than under the Assad regime. Candidates must meet strict requirements, including age and ...

Erdogan Urges Syria's Kurds to Integrate With New Government

This is Beirut, 08/10 14:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Turkey Kurds Recep Tayyip Erdogan Syria

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Syrian Kurds to "complete their integration" with Syria's new government after the announcement of a comprehensive ceasefire, in a transcript shared by his office Wednesday. "The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) must keep their word. They must complete their integration with Syria," Erdogan told Turkish ...

Few Women, Minorities Win Seats in Syria Parliament Ballot

This is Beirut, 06/10 23:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Syrian Parliament Parliamentary Elections

Women and minorities were underrepresented in a weekend ballot for members of Syria's transitional parliament, results announced Monday showed, for the first assembly to form since the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. In a process criticized as undemocratic, several thousand members of local committees cast their ballots Sunday to elect ...

Syria Selects Members of First Post-Assad Parliament

This is Beirut, 05/10 13:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa Syrian Parliament Parliamentary Elections

Members of local committees in Syria began on Sunday selecting members of a transitional parliament in a process criticized as undemocratic, with a third of the members appointed directly by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. The assembly's formation is set to consolidate the power of Sharaa, whose Islamist forces led a coalition that ...

Are Things Looking Brighter for the Middle East?

David Hale , 03/10 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria Gaza Hamas Israel United States

A year after Israel defanged Hezbollah, and in the wake of the annual opening of the UN General Assembly and several developments related to the Middle East, it may be a good time to take stock. In my 38-year career of diplomacy in the Middle East, anytime someone expressed optimism, I would suggest a head examination might be in order. However, ...

Israeli Airstrikes on the outskirts of Damascus

This is Beirut, 03/10 04:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Syria Israel Airstrikes

Israeli airstrikes reportedly targeted the outskirts of the Al-Kiswah area in the rural Damascus region. So far, eight airstrikes have been reported. No details about casualties have been reported yet.

Lebanon: Political Supervision and Army Support

Bassam Abou Zeid, 01/10 17:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanese Army United Nations Hezbollah Syria Palestine

Western diplomatic sources have noted that international and regional focus on Lebanon has shifted toward the Palestinian and Syrian issues. This was particularly evident during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where attention to Syria and Palestine prevented a meeting between President Joseph Aoun and French President Emmanuel ...

Syrian Army Clashes with Narcotics Smugglers on Lebanese Border

This is Beirut, 26/09 09:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Syria lebanon Homs captagon

The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that army units clashed with a group of narcotics smugglers near Dabousiya, west of Homs, along the Lebanese-Syrian border. In a statement, the ministry said the confrontation led to the seizure of a batch of drugs, which was handed over to the competent authorities. It added that operations to ...

Syria