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Syria

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Syria. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Damascus

Head of State

President Bashar al-Assad

Head of Government

Prime Minister Hussein Arnous

The presidential complex in Tehran following air strikes. Photo: Vantor via AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

US and Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation: sources

The prospect of Kurdish groups operating inside Iran signals US consideration for a ground uprising.

48 minutes agovideocam

Cathay Pacific

432 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and 47 flights cancelled

2 Mar 2026 - 11:04PMvideocam

US-Iran tensions

Airspace closed, flights cancelled amid US-Israel-Iran conflict

28 Feb 2026 - 11:04PMvideocam

Middle East

US presses Syria to shift from Chinese telecoms systems

Washington warned Damascus, which is considering buying Chinese telecoms technology, to buy from US or allied states.

27 Feb 2026 - 6:42AM

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

US ambassador says Israel has right to much of Middle East, sparking uproar

Mike Huckabee’s comments were condemned by Arab and Muslim nations as ‘extremist rhetoric’.

22 Feb 2026 - 10:19AM

Middle East

US pulls forces from Syria as new government exerts control

The Syrian army has already taken control of Al-Tanf military base, ending an American military presence that lasted for a decade.

19 Feb 2026 - 7:04AMvideocam

Australia

Australian citizen in Syria with alleged Isis ties banned from returning home

This is the first known use of a temporary exclusion order introduced in 2019 to prevent high-risk citizens from returning to Australia.

18 Feb 2026 - 8:16PM

Australian family members of suspected Isis militants walk toward a van bound for the airport during the first repatriation operation of the year at Roj Camp in eastern Syria on Monday. Photo: AP

United States

US civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dies at 84: ‘my constituency is the damned’

The Baptist minister’s two presidential runs helped lay the groundwork for the election of America’s first black president, Barack Obama.

17 Feb 2026 - 6:53PM

Middle East

US pulls out of strategic military base and hands it over to Syria

Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base, ending an American military presence that lasted for more than a decade.

13 Feb 2026 - 12:28PM

Lebanon

Lebanon’s Tripoli called a ‘disaster-stricken city’ after deadly collapse

Tripoli’s mayor warns that thousands of people remain at risk in unsafe buildings due to years of neglect.

9 Feb 2026 - 4:41PM

Rescue teams search for survivors in Tripoli, Lebanon. Photo: Reuters

Russia

Russia says suspect in shooting of top general detained in Dubai

Moscow says Russian Lyubomir Korba was held in Dubai for a shooting, with two accomplices identified – one in Moscow, while one fled to Ukraine.

8 Feb 2026 - 6:31PM

Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev was hospitalised after being shot several times on Friday. Photo: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP

Middle East

Saudi Arabia, Syria sign telecom and airline deals as sanctions lift

Saudi Arabia has been a major backer of Syria’s Islamist authorities who took power after toppling long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

8 Feb 2026 - 12:04AM

Russia

Deputy chief of Russia’s military intelligence wounded in Moscow shooting

Several senior Russian officers have been assassinated since the start of the war in Ukraine.

6 Feb 2026 - 7:29PM

Middle East

Putin hosts Syrian leader in Moscow with Russian bases on agenda

Russian president hails progress in ties with Syria as Ahmad al-Sharaa visits Moscow for talks.

29 Jan 2026 - 12:32PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall for the meeting with Syria’s president at the Kremlin in Moscow. Photo: Kremlin pool via AFP

Saudi Arabia

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

25 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

Yemeni separatists wave South Yemen and UAE flags during a protest against Saudi Arabia in Aden on December 30. Photo: EPA

US-China relations

Opinion | Why China’s response to Trump’s chaos will be to wait and watch

Although the US president’s destabilising actions might seem like an opportunity for Beijing, it is likely to opt for strategic patience.

21 Jan 2026 - 9:19PMvideocam

Middle East

Syria gives Kurds 4 days to accept integration as US signals end of support

The government announced a new truce after seizing swathes of territory from the Syrian Democratic Forces.

21 Jan 2026 - 2:42PM

Islamic State

Syrian deal unravels as sides clash and Isis prisoners escape

Integration agreement with the SDF falters amid reports that hundreds of militants fled prison as government forces moved in.

20 Jan 2026 - 12:24PM

Syrian government forces stand guard outside al-Aqtan prison on the outskirts of Raqqa. Photo: AP

Middle East

Syrian government forces take Al-Omar oilfield as Kurds withdraw

Al-Omar was home to the largest US base in Syria. It had been controlled by Kurdish-led forces since 2017 after Islamic State group was pushed out.

18 Jan 2026 - 9:21PM

Middle East

US strike in Syria kills leader tied to Isis ambush that left 3 Americans dead

Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was allegedly ‘directly connected’ to the incident, which has sparked a series of retaliatory attacks by US forces.

18 Jan 2026 - 2:01PM

Pakistan

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia plan defence deal to counter chaos in Middle East

Iran’s neighbours are worried that the US’ increasingly erratic behaviour may pose a risk to regional power balance and trade, analysts say.

16 Jan 2026 - 5:54PMvideocam

A protester waves the Iranian flag outside UN headquarters in New York during a Security Council meeting on Iran on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Vladimir Putin

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Russia’s war in Ukraine leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba vulnerable, exposing security failures and eroding trust in Moscow’s global influence.

14 Jan 2026 - 6:48PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the Kremlin during their May 2025 meeting in Moscow. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

US says it carried out new ‘large-scale’ strikes against Isis in Syria

The attack is the latest response to a shooting by a lone militant that killed two American soldiers and a US civilian interpreter.

11 Jan 2026 - 5:54AMvideocam

Middle East

Kurdish fighters refuse to leave Syria’s Aleppo after truce

Kurdish fighters defy Aleppo truce, sparking fears of wider conflict amid civilian evacuations and international pressure.

9 Jan 2026 - 8:41PM

Middle East

Deadly clashes in Aleppo shatter Syria’s fragile peace as thousands flee

Fierce fighting between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led SDF exposes the failure of a year-long plan to merge the two militaries.

8 Jan 2026 - 2:49PM

People flee Aleppo’s Ashrafiyah Kurdish neighbourhood on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Islamic State

Britain, France bombed suspected Isis arms dump in Syria: UK defence ministry

Intelligence analysis identified an underground facility believed ‍to contain weapons and explosives in mountains ‍near Palmyra, the UK said.

4 Jan 2026 - 1:38PM

Middle East

‘Hell to pay’: Trump warns Hamas and Iran after talks with Netanyahu

Trump presses for Hamas disarmament in Gaza, warns Iran of further US action if it reconstitutes nuclear programme.

30 Dec 2025 - 4:49PM

Middle East

Sectarian tensions flare and turn deadly in Syria after mosque bombing

Clashes erupt between protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counterdemonstrators after a mosque attack in Homs.

29 Dec 2025 - 12:40PM

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Syria

US and Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation: sources

The prospect of Kurdish groups operating inside Iran signals US consideration for a ground uprising.

432 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and 47 flights cancelled

Airspace closed, flights cancelled amid US-Israel-Iran conflict

US presses Syria to shift from Chinese telecoms systems

Washington warned Damascus, which is considering buying Chinese telecoms technology, to buy from US or allied states.

US ambassador says Israel has right to much of Middle East, sparking uproar

Mike Huckabee’s comments were condemned by Arab and Muslim nations as ‘extremist rhetoric’.

US pulls forces from Syria as new government exerts control

The Syrian army has already taken control of Al-Tanf military base, ending an American military presence that lasted for a decade.

Australian citizen in Syria with alleged Isis ties banned from returning home

This is the first known use of a temporary exclusion order introduced in 2019 to prevent high-risk citizens from returning to Australia.

US civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dies at 84: ‘my constituency is the damned’

The Baptist minister’s two presidential runs helped lay the groundwork for the election of America’s first black president, Barack Obama.

US pulls out of strategic military base and hands it over to Syria

Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base, ending an American military presence that lasted for more than a decade.

Lebanon’s Tripoli called a ‘disaster-stricken city’ after deadly collapse

Tripoli’s mayor warns that thousands of people remain at risk in unsafe buildings due to years of neglect.

Russia says suspect in shooting of top general detained in Dubai

Moscow says Russian Lyubomir Korba was held in Dubai for a shooting, with two accomplices identified – one in Moscow, while one fled to Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia, Syria sign telecom and airline deals as sanctions lift

Saudi Arabia has been a major backer of Syria’s Islamist authorities who took power after toppling long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Deputy chief of Russia’s military intelligence wounded in Moscow shooting

Several senior Russian officers have been assassinated since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Putin hosts Syrian leader in Moscow with Russian bases on agenda

Russian president hails progress in ties with Syria as Ahmad al-Sharaa visits Moscow for talks.

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Why China’s response to Trump’s chaos will be to wait and watch

Although the US president’s destabilising actions might seem like an opportunity for Beijing, it is likely to opt for strategic patience.

Syria gives Kurds 4 days to accept integration as US signals end of support

The government announced a new truce after seizing swathes of territory from the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Syrian deal unravels as sides clash and Isis prisoners escape

Integration agreement with the SDF falters amid reports that hundreds of militants fled prison as government forces moved in.

Syrian government forces take Al-Omar oilfield as Kurds withdraw

Al-Omar was home to the largest US base in Syria. It had been controlled by Kurdish-led forces since 2017 after Islamic State group was pushed out.

US strike in Syria kills leader tied to Isis ambush that left 3 Americans dead

Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was allegedly ‘directly connected’ to the incident, which has sparked a series of retaliatory attacks by US forces.

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia plan defence deal to counter chaos in Middle East

Iran’s neighbours are worried that the US’ increasingly erratic behaviour may pose a risk to regional power balance and trade, analysts say.

How Putin’s focus on Ukraine war leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba exposed

Russia’s war in Ukraine leaves allies Venezuela, Iran and Cuba vulnerable, exposing security failures and eroding trust in Moscow’s global influence.

US says it carried out new ‘large-scale’ strikes against Isis in Syria

The attack is the latest response to a shooting by a lone militant that killed two American soldiers and a US civilian interpreter.

Kurdish fighters refuse to leave Syria’s Aleppo after truce

Kurdish fighters defy Aleppo truce, sparking fears of wider conflict amid civilian evacuations and international pressure.

Deadly clashes in Aleppo shatter Syria’s fragile peace as thousands flee

Fierce fighting between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led SDF exposes the failure of a year-long plan to merge the two militaries.

Britain, France bombed suspected Isis arms dump in Syria: UK defence ministry

Intelligence analysis identified an underground facility believed ‍to contain weapons and explosives in mountains ‍near Palmyra, the UK said.

‘Hell to pay’: Trump warns Hamas and Iran after talks with Netanyahu

Trump presses for Hamas disarmament in Gaza, warns Iran of further US action if it reconstitutes nuclear programme.

Sectarian tensions flare and turn deadly in Syria after mosque bombing

Clashes erupt between protesters from the Alawite religious minority and counterdemonstrators after a mosque attack in Homs.

Opinion | Why China’s response to Trump’s chaos will be to wait and watch