EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Syria later this week, her first trip since Bashar al-Assad’s fall. The visit comes as international efforts to rebuild Syria gain momentum. She will also tour Jordan and Lebanon during her Middle East trip. Von der Leyen aims to support reconstruction initiatives and strengthen EU engagement […]
Syria
US launches major strikes against ISIS targets in Syria
The United States carried out large-scale retaliatory air and ground strikes against dozens of Islamic State (ISIS) targets across Syria on Friday, US officials said. The operation followed a deadly attack on American personnel last weekend in central Syria. Read More: Two US soldiers killed in suspected ISIS Syria attack According to US defence officials, the strikes were part […]
Serian security forces kills three Americans in Palmyra
DAMASCUS: Syria’s interior ministry said on Sunday that the gunman who killed three Americans in the central Palmyra region on Saturday was a member of the Serian security forces due to be dismissed for extremism. The attack claimed the lives of two U.S. troops and a civilian interpreter. Read More: UN security council plans critical visit to Syria, […]
Syria marks first year since Bashar al-Assad’s fall amid fragile calm
DAMASCUS – Syrians will mark the first anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad on Monday, as the country continues to search for stability after more than a decade of war. Official celebrations are planned in Damascus’ central Umayyad Square, which has already witnessed large gatherings in the days leading up to the event. Other […]
Trump warns Israel against destabilizing Syria
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump has warned Israel not to interfere in Syria, following a deadly Israeli operation that killed 13 people in the southern village of Beit Jin. Trump emphasized the importance of maintaining dialogue with Syria and supporting the country’s efforts to stabilize and rebuild under its new leadership. Read More: Trump urges Israeli president […]
Diplomatic ghosts linger in Washington’s embassy district
WASHINGTON: The quiet, tree-lined streets of Washington’s Kalorama district have become home to a cluster of abandoned embassies, their empty halls reflecting the turbulence of global politics. The most recent reminder came in September, when the wildly overgrown vegetation outside the shuttered Syrian Embassy was finally cleared and the country’s flag raised again, symbolising a […]
Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa to visit Washington
BEIRUT – Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former Syrian rebel leader who ousted Bashar Assad last December, will become the first Syrian president to visit Washington since the country’s independence in 1946. Al-Sharaa, who had previously fought alongside al-Qaida militants in Iraq but later severed ties, arrived in the U.S. on Saturday ahead of Monday’s meeting with […]
Syrian president visits US after being removed from terrorism blacklist
Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in the United States on Saturday for a historic official visit, following his removal from the US terrorism blacklist a day earlier. The visit marks the first by a Syrian president to the US since Syria gained independence in 1946. Sharaa is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump at the […]
US delists Syrian leaders from global terror sanctions
WASHINGTON: The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has removed Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa from the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), while the Treasury Department simultaneously delisted Syrian Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab from the same sanctions regime. The move follows a UN Security Council resolution, supported by Pakistan and 14 other […]
US plans military presence in Damascus ahead of Syria-Israel pact
AMMAN/DAMASCUS: The United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an airbase in Damascus to support a security agreement between Syria and Israel, sources told Reuters. The move, which has not been previously reported, signals a potential strategic realignment between Syria and the US following the fall of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad […]