Damascus

US-led coalition exit shifts more counter-ISIS burden to Iraq and Syria - analysis

The end of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq leaves local forces carrying more of the operational burden while Washington retains a regional intelligence and support role.

Iraqi security forces stand guard during a rally celebrating the withdrawal of forces of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State from Iraq in Baghdad on September 30, 2026.
Jordan occupies a critical position between Israel, Iraq and Syria, making the kingdom an important buffer against weapons smuggling, militant infiltration and Iranian efforts to expand its regional influence.

Syrian, Jordanian military chiefs discuss defense cooperation to counter border security threats

Stun grenades thrown at rioters, September 29, 2026.

Ultra-Orthodox rioters clash with police, locals in Jerusalem's Old City, 11 arrested

Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport.

Syrian Fly Dar Airlines becomes first to receive air operator certification since fall of Assad


Macron’s Damascus visit opens door to French investment in Syria - analysis

Banking assistance, transportation agreements, asset recovery, and corporate participation signal a shift from diplomatic outreach toward economic cooperation.

France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of their meeting at the People's Palace in Damascus on July 7, 2026.

Individuals behind string of 'terrorist bombings' in Damascus arrested, Syrian official says

Israeli public broadcaster KAN News, citing a Syrian security source, reported that the group responsible for the attacks belonged to Islamic State (ISIS). 

A cordoned-off area and a damaged structure in the aftermath of explosions near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was meant to be staying, in Damascus, Syria, July 7, 2026.

Damascus yet to keep pledge to respect rights of detainees, UN inquiry team says

Despite Damascus’s pledge, the members noted that families still struggle to find relatives held in custody and many detainees face long periods of detention without judicial review.

Kafr Sousa security complex after it was emptied following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria December 15, 2024.

Macron says France ready to help rebuild Syria following bombs, explosions near his hotel

"We want to continue working on the restructuring of the banking sector," Macron said at a news conference alongside Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

France's President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa at the People's Palace in Damascus, Syria, July 7, 2026.

Damascus explosion injures 18, incl. four police officers amid Macron-Sharaa meeting

The explosions are believed to have been caused by an explosive device planted on a vehicle near the French president's hotel, while Macron confirmed in a statement that his visit will continue.

Smoke and fire rise at the site where explosive devices blew up near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was meant to be staying, in Damascus, Syria, in this screengrab obtained from a video, July 7, 2026.

Macron’s visit to Syria showcases Damascus's rising regional status - analysis

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa is also expected to travel to Turkey to hold meetings on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the following days.

France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) is welcomed by Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) as he arrives for a state visit at the Damascus International Airport in Damascus on July 6, 2026.

French President Emmanuel Macron lands in Syria in first visit to post-Assad Damascus by EU head

The visit underlines Syria's geopolitical transformation under Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander who has established close ties with Western and Middle Eastern powers that shunned Assad.

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after a joint press conference after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025.

Syrian women push for real political power: 'Representation is not just numbers'

As Syria’s first post-Assad parliament takes shape, activists say a rise in female lawmakers will matter only if women can shape legislation and oversight.

Women activists protest in Aleppo against what they say is inadequate female representation in Syria's newly formed People's Assembly, July 2.

Damascus begins public trials for individuals involved in Sweida sectarian violence

The attacks in July, 2025, were among the worst outbreaks of sectarian violence since Ahmed al-Sharaa seized power following the fall of the Assad regime in 2024.

A Syrian Druze fighter kneels in the entrance of a building in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria on July 20, 2025.

Explosion in crowded Damascus cafe leaves ten people dead, 21 injured

"The Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist bombing that targeted a café in the capital, Damascus," said the Syrian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Members of the media and other people gather near the site of what Syrian state media reported was a blast at a cafe in central Damascus, Syria, July 2, 2026