Bashar Assad

Suspended legitimacy: Has Shaara lost the trust of his backers? - analysis

Once the hope of the post-Assad era, Ahmed al-Sharaa’s leadership has faltered because of sectarian violence, political divisions, and loss of credibility.

 Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa looks on as he attends the “Aleppo, Key to Victory” celebration marking Syria’s liberation, in Aleppo, Syria May 27, 2025.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and members of the Lebanese cabinet meet to discuss efforts to bring all weapons in the country under the control of the state, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon August 5, 2025.

Can Lebanon disarm Hezbollah? - explainer

A torn poster showing former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the Sayyida Zaynab district in Damascus, Syria, December 14, 2024

Syria's transitional justice commission set to launch, vows accountability for Assad-era crimes

 Members of Syrian security forces ride on a back of a truck after Syrian troops entered the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday following two days of clashes, in Sweida, Syria July 15, 2025.

Syria pledges to form committee to investigate clashes in Sweida


Inside Syria’s struggles: Jonathan Spyer on conflict, Israel’s strategy, and reintegration

In a conversation with Jonathan Spyer, expert on Syria, we explore the latest flare-ups of violence, Israel's strategic role, and the challenges of reintegrating a fractured nation.

Bedouin families ride on a vehicle as they leave the village of Al-Mazraa, as residents reported calm in Syria's Sweida on Sunday after the Islamist-led government announced that Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from the predominantly Druze city, Sweida, Syira, July 21, 2025.

Voices from the Arab press: Damascus between the Druze, Alawites, and Kurds

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

WORKERS MAINTAIN power generation transformers in the Al-Kiswah area of the Damascus countryside, in Syria, May 26.

France's top court says arrest warrant for Assad is invalid, new one can be issued

Mariana Pena, senior legal officer at Open Society Justice Initiative, which helped gather evidence against Assad, described the court's ruling as "a missed opportunity for justice."

 A wall painted with a damaged drawing of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is pictured in the al-Qadam neighbourhood in Damascus, Syria, March 26, 2025.

Selective outrage: Why the world looks away from Syria’s atrocities but fixates on Gaza - analysis

Gaza is widely covered because it is symbolically and politically loaded. Syria is ignored because it is seen as broken, and no one cares.

Bedouin families ride on a vehicle as they leave the village of Al-Mazraa, as residents reported calm in Syria's Sweida on Sunday after the Islamist-led government announced that Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from the predominantly Druze city, Sweida, Syira, July 21, 2025.

Israel's first test as a regional superpower: Defending Druze in Syria's Sweida - opinion

What we are witnessing may be the first chapter of a Pax Israeliana - a regional order not imposed by conquest, but secured by principled strength.

 SMOKE RISES as Syrian troops enter the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday. The Druze community in Syria is not only a historical ally of Israel, but it also sits on the front line between order and tribal disintegration, states the writer

Israel's attacks on Damascus hinder chemical weapons search, Syrian official says

The OPCW will hold an urgent meeting on Tuesday next week to discuss the situation and impact of the Israeli attacks.

 Damage around Qamishli International Airport area, in Syria, December 10, 2024

Russia says Israeli strikes are 'gross violation' of Syria's sovereignty

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the attacks against the Druze Community in Syria were "deeply concerning."

 A person stands near the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, amid the ongoing conflict in the Druze areas in Syria, in Majdal Shams, July 17, 2025.

Syria conflict grows as Egypt and Jordan warn of regional instability

As the crisis grows regionally, it is likely that more countries will seek to become involved.

 Members of Syrian security forces ride on a back of a truck after Syrian troops entered the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday following two days of clashes, in Sweida, Syria July 15, 2025.

Lebanon central bank bans institutions from interacting with Hezbollah's Al-Qard Al-Hassan

Hezbollah has been grappling with acute financial strains, US demands for its disarmament, and diminished political clout since a new cabinet took office in February with US support.

 The Banque du Liban, the central bank of Lebanon amid protests, January 14, 2020.

'To live without fear': Israeli Druze leader shares vision for Syrian community

Druze leader warns of massacres under Syria’s new regime, urges Israel to take the threat seriously amid growing violence in Sweida .

A Druze boy holds a flag as he looks at the ceasefire line between Golan Heights and Syria, on the day of first visit by Druze delegation from Syria just after 1973 war in Israel, March 14, 2025.

Israeli special forces operate near Damascus via helicopter landings - report

According to the report, three helicopters landed at the site, which once belonged to the Republican Guard Division under Bashar al-Assad's regime.

 IDF troops operate in southern Syria on June 29, 2025.