The Japanese government approved the removal of sanctions on 16 organizations connected to Syria, signaling support for the government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The decision follows Japan's lifting of sanctions on four Syrian entities in May 2025, with the original measures imposed in 2011 against the Assad regime.
Britain announced sanctions banning imports of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, with reports indicating the measures also cover occupied East Jerusalem and Syria's Golan Heights. The scope of sanctions could expand or narrow based on actions of Israel's next government.
The Trump administration formally removed Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list on Monday, lifting decades-old economic sanctions following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also delisted Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization.
An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle in Beit Jinn, southwestern Syria, injuring one person on Saturday. The IDF stated the strike targeted a Syrian terrorist poised to carry out an imminent attack on Israeli soldiers near the border.
Senior Israeli military officials believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be seeking to escalate situations in Gaza and Syria to disrupt upcoming parliamentary elections. The concerns have sparked tensions with Washington over Israeli strikes in Syria and actions in Gaza and the West Bank, while former PM Naftali Bennett accused Netanyahu of toxic campaigning that could incite violence.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Turkey against "dangerous adventures" in Syria following Israel's strike on the Abu Al-Duhur air base. Turkey condemned the attack and vowed continued military support for Damascus, raising tensions amid a NATO summit where President Trump praised U.S.-Turkey relations.
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors visited previously undeclared Assad-era nuclear sites in Syria for the first time this week, with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi reporting the discovery of several tons of nuclear materials. Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated the material is not dangerous as Damascus pledges to strengthen safeguards.
Syria warned that continued Israeli attacks on its territory fuel regional tensions following strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Idlib province, approximately 70 kilometers from the Turkish border. US envoy Tom Barrack called the strikes an "unnecessary escalation" and suggested creating a deconfliction mechanism.
Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria. US special envoy Tom Barrack called the strikes an 'unnecessary escalation,' marking rare public criticism of Israel by the Trump administration.
Israeli airstrikes hit the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria, prompting the United States to label the attack an "unnecessary escalation" and drawing condemnation from Turkey. Syria reported material damage but no casualties at the base near the Turkish border, marking Israel's first strike on Syrian government assets since March.
The United States issued a rare rebuke of Israel after airstrikes hit the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Syria near the Turkish border. US envoy Tom Barrack called the attack an unnecessary escalation, while Syria and Turkey condemned the strikes that targeted runways and storage facilities but reportedly caused no casualties.
US Ambassador to Turkey and Syria envoy Tom Barrack criticized Israel for striking a Syrian airbase without warning Washington, saying US intelligence found no evidence supporting Israeli claims that Turkey was preparing to deploy forces there. The strike nearly triggered a confrontation between Israel and Turkey, both US allies.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pivoting his re-election campaign to anti-Turkey rhetoric, including airstrikes on Turkish-linked targets in Syria and campaign billboards comparing NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Iranian and Hezbollah leaders. The shift comes as polls show Likud losing ground and after US pressure curtailed attacks on Iran and Lebanon.
A Syrian court sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher, and cousin Atef Najib to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, war crimes, murder, and torture during Syria's 14-year civil war that killed approximately half a million people. Assad has been living in exile in Russia since his ouster in 2024.
Syria and Russia agreed on August 9, 2026, after 18 months of negotiations, to reorganize Russia's military presence in Syria: the agreement transfers civilian facilities at Hmeimim and Tartus to Syrian control, converts the military sites into joint training centres, and allows Russian forces to remain -- preserving Moscow's principal military foothold in the Mediterranean. A four-vessel Russian convoy resupplied the Tartous and Hmeimim facilities on September 14, 2026, the first such resupply since the agreement was concluded. The reported inclusion of ammunition in the shipment was not independently confirmed.
Syria and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding to reorganize Russia's military presence at the Hmeimim air base and Tartus naval base, converting them into joint training centers while transferring civilian facilities to Syrian control. The agreement follows 18 months of intensive negotiations and marks a new phase in relations between Syria's new government and Moscow.
Syria and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding to reorganize Russia's military presence at the Hmeimim air base and Tartus naval base, converting them into joint training centers while transferring civilian facilities to Syrian control. The agreement follows 18 months of intensive negotiations and marks a new phase in relations between Syria's new government and Moscow.
An explosive device detonated on a passenger minibus in Jaramana, a suburb of Damascus, killing at least two people and wounding 13 others. The blast tore off the vehicle's roof and scattered debris across the street in the predominantly Druze area.
European law enforcement arrested three Syrian nationals suspected of leading migrant-smuggling networks in a coordinated operation involving 240 officers across Germany and Serbia. The networks allegedly smuggled more than 900 migrants along Mediterranean and Balkan routes.
Damascus has committed to significantly reducing imports of Russian crude oil as part of ongoing discussions with Washington over lifting Syria's State Sponsor of Terrorism designation. Russian oil shipments to Syria had jumped 75% to approximately 60,000 barrels per day this year before the agreement.
António Guterres arrived in Syria on Saturday for a three-day visit, marking the first time a serving UN Secretary-General has visited Damascus since 2009, before the civil war that killed hundreds of thousands. Guterres met with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and appealed to the international community to support Syria's reconstruction and political transition.
Two passenger buses collided on a highway in central-eastern Syria on Saturday, killing at least 35 people and injuring 30 others. One bus was carrying members of the Internal Security Forces while the other was transporting civilians.
Ukraine’s navy said three Russian cruise missiles struck the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship Golden Leo near Odesa on July 19, killing nine foreign sailors and one Ukrainian pilot in the deadliest attack on commercial shipping in the Black Sea in recent weeks.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck a US special operations command center at al-Tanf in Syria on July 17, 2026, the first time Iran has attacked Syrian territory since the war began. The strike, framed as retaliation for the killing of seven Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr, marked the 11th wave of Operation Nasr-2. The US simultaneously launched its sixth consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting bridges, airports, and ports, while enforcing a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump said he would remove Syria from the state sponsor of terrorism designation during a bilateral meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the NATO summit in Turkey, clearing the way for private-sector investment in Syria.
President Donald Trump announced the end of a ceasefire with Iran during a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, while also meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syria's leader. Despite the controversial Iran declaration and threats to Spain, Trump praised the summit's 'tremendous unity.'
Two bombs exploded near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying in Damascus during the first visit to Syria by a major Western leader since Assad's fall, wounding at least 18 people including security personnel.
Turkish authorities detained more than 100 people, including protesters, journalists, academics and left-wing activists, in the days before Ankara hosts a major NATO summit. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian and Syrian leaders on the sidelines of the alliance gathering.
An explosive device detonated at a crowded cafe in central Damascus, Syria on Thursday, killing at least nine people and wounding 20 others, according to Syrian state media and local officials. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed the final 70 members of Syria's new 210-member parliament, completing the chamber that will convene for its first session. Two-thirds of the lawmakers were previously chosen by regional electoral colleges, with 21 women among the total membership.
President Donald Trump has shocked regional actors by proposing that Syria, rather than Israel, should fight the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. The proposal comes as the White House has grown dissatisfied with Israel's ongoing war with Hezbollah.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened with Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers in Manama on June 25, 2026, to discuss a broader Iran agreement including curbs on missiles and proxies, while reaffirming US-Gulf partnerships and addressing regional issues in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the Trump administration can turn back asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border before they reach U.S. soil and can strip Temporary Protected Status from hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants, fundamentally reshaping U.S. immigration policy.
Gulf states are adapting to a shifting regional landscape following a US-Iranian memorandum of understanding, while expressing concern over funding Iran's $300 billion reconstruction and Israel's significant territorial expansion into Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria since 2023.
President Donald Trump suggested that Syria should take over Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, claiming Damascus would do a "better job." Trump confirmed he had spoken with Syria's leader about combating the Iran-backed group, criticizing Israel's operation as too prolonged and deadly.
Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi, a former Syrian military officer under the Assad regime, has pleaded not guilty in an Austrian court to charges including aggravated torture, coercion, sexual coercion and bodily harm. Austrian law allows local courts to prosecute certain crimes committed abroad when defendants reside in Austria.
A Syrian court held its first public hearing in the trial of ousted president Bashar al-Assad and senior officials from his former government. Former security chief Atef Najib appeared in person, while Assad and his brother Maher are being tried in absentia.
A French court found cement giant Lafarge guilty of paying protection money to ISIS and other jihadist groups to keep a plant operating in northern Syria during the civil war. The company was fined over $1.3 million and its former CEO sentenced to six years in prison.
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in broad daylight in Baghdad, with US officials stating a suspect has ties to Iran-backed militia group Kataib Hezbollah. The State Department says it is working to ensure her release as soon as possible.
