The violence in Sweida Province between groups from Bedouin tribes and the Druse minority renewed fears of sectarian conflict and drew Israeli attacks before a cease-fire was announced Saturday.
Category: Syria
They Vanished in Syria’s Long Occupation of Lebanon. Now Their Families Want Answers.
Thousands went missing during Syria’s decades-long intervention in Lebanon. Months after the fall of the Syrian regime, families are still clinging to hope.
Who Are the Druse: The Religious Minority at the Center of Israel and Syria’s Tensions
Spread across Syria, Lebanon and Israel, the secretive religious minority has long balanced integration and independence. Now, members are at the heart of the region’s shifting power struggles.
Smell of Death Lingers in Syrian City After Spasm of Violence
Blood in the streets, smashed windows and the smell of corpses in the air: A resident of the southern city of Sweida describes the aftermath of a wave of sectarian violence.
Why Israel Attacked Syria
For weeks, Israel has engaged in back-channel talks over a diplomatic agreement with the Syrian government. Its strikes on Damascus this week highlight a lack of strategic clarity.
Syria’s President Condemns Israeli Strikes on Damascus
President Ahmed al-Shara said the attack threatened to escalate sectarian violence in his sharpest criticism of Israel since coming to power.
Israel Strikes Syria’s Capital, Sending Warning to Government
Israel threatened to escalate attacks on Syrian government forces unless they withdrew from Sweida, a southern province dominated by the Druse minority.
Israel Targets Syria and Lebanon in Wave of Airstrikes
In Syria, Israel launched rare attacks on forces of the new government, while in Lebanon it took aim at the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Clashes between Bedouin and Druse in Syria Kill More Than 50, Health Official and Rights Group Say
The violence underscores the government’s challenge to assert nationwide control as ethnic and religious tensions simmer after the end of the civil war.
Why Trump’s Abraham Accords Have Not Meant Mideast Peace
The 2020 agreements addressed diplomacy and commerce, not conflicts or the Palestinians. Predictions that the deals would produce regional peace were baseless, analysts say.
After Decades of Hostility, Israeli-Syrian Relations Begin to Thaw
The longtime enemies have opened contacts, reflecting a power shift across a Middle East in which they have newfound common ground: antipathy for Iran.
Wildfires Scar Syria Anew
The country is experiencing its worst drought in decades, which has set the conditions for the blazes to scorch an area the size of Washington, D.C.
How the Assad Regime Built a Mass Grave in Syria
Months after President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled, Charlie Smart, a reporter at The New York Times, traveled to a mass burial site in Syria to understand how the Assad regime hid the bodies of the people it had made disappear.
Wildfires Sweep Syria’s Coast as Drought Strains Fragile State
Firefighting efforts have been hampered by the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance left over from the civil war, as the country grapples with the worst drought in decades.
Israel and Syria in U.S.-Brokered Talks to End Border Conflict, Trump Envoy Says
Thomas J. Barrack Jr., the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, says Washington is facilitating the discussions and prioritizing economic development over nation-building in the Middle East.
Trump Lifts Sanctions on Syria, Tightening His Embrace of Its New Leader
U.S. officials said sanctions against targets such as its central bank would end, but they would remain on Syria’s former dictator, Bashar al-Assad.
Gulf States Lead Push to Invest in New Syria
The fall of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has opened a window for wealthy Gulf countries to expand their influence as the sway of Iran diminishes.
Syria Church Bombing Kills at Least 20 in Damascus
The attack on a Greek Orthodox service made clear the challenges facing Syria’s new government in a country long pitted by sectarian divides.
Iran’s Allies Are Not Offering Support in Its Conflict With Israel
Its proxy forces around the region have been largely silent in offering concrete support after attacks by Israel and now the United States.
Bank Transfer Signals Syria Is Making Strides in Ending Economic Isolation
The bank-to-bank transfer using the SWIFT system was symbolically important, indicating the war-torn country was reintegrating into the global financial community.
Syria Is Notably Silent as Other Arab States Condemn Israeli Attacks on Iran
Syria was once among the closest allies of the Islamic republic, but the new government resents Tehran’s support for the Assad regime and has pledged not to allow attacks on Israel from its territory.
36 More Countries May Be Added to Trump’s Travel Ban
The administration gave the nations 60 days to fix concerns, according to a State Department cable. The president already imposed a full or partial ban on citizens of 19 countries.
Israeli Strikes Kill IRGC Leader and Major Nuclear Scientists
Israel has long targeted Iranian officials for assassination. But these attacks marked a significant shift in tactics, targeting multiple officials at once inside Iran.
They Went to Syria to Fight With Rebels. Now Some Are Joining the New Army.
Thousands of foreign fighters fought alongside the Syrian rebel groups that toppled the Assad dictatorship. Many plan to stay, despite the qualms of the United States and some Syrians.
Syrians Rejoice at Being Exempted From Trump Travel Ban
Damascus residents hope the decision is another sign that the world is normalizing relations with Syria after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Islamic State Says It Targeted Syrian Forces in Bomb Attacks
The extremist group claimed responsibility for two attacks, its first against the new government since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, a war monitoring group said.
New U.S. Envoy Makes First and Symbolic Trip to Syria
Thomas Barrack raised the American flag over the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Damascus, amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to improve ties.
Crime Rings Plotted to Trade Cocaine for Syrian Weapons, Prosecutors Say
The intricate scheme, spanning four continents, appears to justify concerns that the military arsenal of Bashar al-Assad, the deposed Syrian dictator, could fall into dangerous hands.
Trump’s Warming Toward Syria Complicates Israel’s Military Strategy
Since Mr. Trump’s embrace of the new Syrian leader, Israeli airstrikes on the country have subsided.
Lebanon Moves to Disarm Palestinian Groups, a Test Run for Hezbollah
After war with Israel weakened Iran-backed militias across the Middle East, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Lebanon’s government has moved to assert its authority over armed groups.
E.U. to Lift Economic Sanctions on Syria
European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday agreed to lift the remaining economic curbs on the war-torn country, amid concerns it could slip back into conflict.
Israel Recovers Troves of Documents Belonging to Its Most Famous Spy
Israel has long sought to bring home from Syria the remains of Eli Cohen, whose spying work is credited with helping Israel win the Arab-Israeli War of 1967.
Gulf States Pay Off $15.5 Million Syrian Debt to World Bank
The move was the latest victory for Syria’s new government as it attempts to stabilize the nation after a long civil war and decades of dictatorship.
Trump’s Visit Makes a Splash in Saudi Arabia
Many Saudis say they are big fans of President Trump, calling him a “straight shooter” who shares their values. Others were not impressed.
Vengeful at Home, Trump Takes His Forgiving Side on Middle East Tour
During the first major foreign trip of his second term, President Trump has told audiences in the Middle East that he’s willing to set the past aside in the interests of peace and profit.
