damascus

Turkey Calls EU Statements on Syria 'Misguided'

Ankara on Friday accused the EU of adopting "misguided" resolutions condemning violence in Syria and Turkey and said the bloc was interfering in Turkish affairs. European Union lawmakers had on Thursday voted in favour of two resolutions, one condemning violence against civilians in northeastern Syria and calling on regional actors, particularly ...

U.S., Syrian Top Diplomats Meet at Munich Conference

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday and they discussed Damascus's recent agreement with the Kurds. A post by the Syrian foreign ministry included pictures showing that the head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum ...

Iran-Lebanon Trade Surges as Hezbollah Adapts Smuggling Networks Under Pressure

Despite mounting pressure on Hezbollah’s smuggling networks and Iran’s deepening financial crisis, trade flows between Tehran and Beirut surged in 2025, suggesting the two are adapting illicit channels to sustain Hezbollah’s parallel economy. Hezbollah's position has weakened since 2024 and Iran's financial crisis has ...

U.S. Completes Transfer of IS Detainees From Syria to Iraq: CENTCOM

The United States Central Command said on Friday it had completed the transfer of thousands of detained Islamic State group suspects held in Syria to Iraq. The detainees had been held in Syria for years in camps overseen by Kurdish-led forces, but the recapture of surrounding territory by Damascus prompted Washington to step in. CENTCOM said it ...

Most Families of Foreign Fighters Left IS-Linked Camp in Syria: Sources

Most foreign families have left northeast Syria's Al-Hol camp, which holds relatives of Islamic State group fighters, since the departure of Kurdish forces who previously guarded it, humanitarian sources told AFP on Thursday. The defence ministry meanwhile announced that the army had taken control of the Al-Tanf base after the withdrawal ...

Syria Defense Ministry Says Army Has Taken Control of Al-Tanf Base After U.S. Pullout

Syria's defence ministry said on Thursday that the army had taken control of the Al-Tanf base after the withdrawal of US forces deployed there as part of the coalition against the Islamic State group. "Through coordination between the Syrian and American sides," army units have taken control of the base "and have begun ...

U.S. Pulls Troops From Northeastern Syria Amid SDF-Damascus Integration

The U.S. has begun its withdrawal of troops from the Shaddadi base in northeastern Syria this week as part of a broader drawdown of direct U.S. military presence in Syria.  This event occurred amid the incorporation of civilian and security sector responsibilities to Damascus to replace the SDF and the U.S. as the primary force monitoring the ...

Lebanon and Syria Ink Deal on Prisoner Handover

Lebanon signed an agreement with Syria on Friday to hand around 300 convicts over to Damascus, a move seen as key to helping turn a new page in ties between the countries. Overcrowded Lebanese prisons host more than 2,200 Syrians held on various charges. Many of them are still awaiting trial, while hundreds accused of "terrorism" or ...

The End of the Middle East’s Oil Bonanza

The Middle East has finally arrived at the grim reckoning long barreling toward it: a ruinous collapse of oil revenues that renders government deficits utterly unsustainable. Among the wealthy Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, four are running persistent annual budget deficits that are eroding their sovereign wealth reserves and plunging ...

Iraq Opens Probe Into ISIS Detainees Transferred From Syria

Iraq’s judiciary announced on Monday that it has begun investigations into more than 1,300 suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) group who were recently transferred from Syria as part of a U.S.-led operation. In a statement, the judiciary’s media office said investigative proceedings had started against 1,387 members of the “Daesh ...

Syria Says Hezbollah Weapons Used in Damascus Airport Attacks

Syrian authorities said on Sunday they had detained a group responsible for a series of rocket attacks targeting the Mezzeh military airport in the capital, adding that investigators traced the weapons used in the strikes to Hezbollah. In a statement, the Syrian Interior Ministry said security units arrested all members of the group after weeks ...

A Month of Crisis in Syria and Its Regional Ramifications

Syria has experienced another dramatic transformation. After a month of clashes that began in Aleppo and spread to eastern Syria, Damascus announced on January 30 that it had reached an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for a ceasefire and its military integration. The Syrian transitional government now controls most of the ...