Syria

Syria, officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic, is an Arab nation in the Middle East, situated in the Levant region. The country boasts a rich history and some of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. 

In 1963, Syria's government was taken over by the Ba'ath Party, led by Hafez al-Assad. For decades, he and his son and successor, Bashar al-Assad, would rule the country in a reign that has been highly criticized for being totalitarian and for carrying out widespread human rights abuses. 

In 2011, a major civil war broke out in Syria, leaving governance of the country fractured between the Russia- and Iran-backed Assad regime based in Syria's largest city and capital of Damascus, US-backed rebel groups led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Turkey-backed forces, and Islamists under the banner of Hay'at Tahir al-Shams (HTS). 

However, in December 2024, HTS and its allies carried out a major offensive from their base of operations in the Idlib province, eventually fully ousting the Assad regime and seizing control of Damascus as well as other major cities such as Homs and Aleppo. Currently, HTS has been spearheading the establishment of a new Syrian interim government. However, the country still remains fractured between them, Assad loyalists, Turkey-backed forces, and the SDF and its allies. 

'The tide may finally be turning': Hezbollah under pressure as US envoy arrives - analysis

Syria Envoy Tom Barrack has moved quickly to increase US ties to the new Syrian government. He has travelled around the region and is the US Ambassador to Turkey as well.

 Tom Barrack speaks with members of the press at Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 10, 2017.
 IDF soldiers operating in southern Syria, where they arrested members of a terror cell operated by Iran's Quds Force, July 7, 2025.

IDF arrests Quds Force-backed terror cell operating along Israel's borders

 British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrives for a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Nicosia, Cyprus July 4, 2025.

UK reestablishes diplomatic ties with Syria as Lammy visits Damascus

Israeli security forces seen during an operation in the Tulkarm refugee camp, in the West Bank, July 6, 2025

Sirens sound in West Bank and Dead Sea, Source tells 'Post' that ceasefire talks end inconclusively


Why Israel should not trust Syria’s new leadership, or the peace being promised - opinion

Every time Israel has traded land for peace with enemies still committed to our destruction, we have paid in blood.

 SYRIA’S INTERIM President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends a celebration marking Syria’s liberation, in Aleppo, in May. This is not a man seeking peace, the writer warns.

UK reestablishes diplomatic ties with Syria as Lammy visits Damascus

"There is renewed hope for the Syrian people," UK FM David Lammy said during his visit to Damascus.

 BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY David Lammy walks on Downing Street last week. In the House of Commons, he rose to his feet and read out a statement condemning how the war in Gaza was being conducted by the Israeli government.

From jihadist to president: Is Ahmed al-Sharaa's transformation true or false? - opinion

Ahmed al-Sharaa’s journey from jihadist commander to president presents the world with a highly dramatic transformation. Is it genuine or mere show?

 French President Emmanuel Macron and interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa attend a press conference after a meeting at the Élysée Palace, in May 2025.

US-Israel ties: Relations between historic allies enter a new era - analysis

Today, Israel is widely considered one of America’s closest allies. Whether this relationship remains sustainable – and healthy – for both countries will be a defining question in the years ahead.

 COMBINED US-ISRAEL flag on the Lebanon border, March 30.

Khamenei seen in first public appearance since war, Hostage negotiation team to fly to Doha Sunday

Cabinet meets to discuss hostage negotiations • Ben-Gvir decries hostage deal proposal • Hamas requests 'unacceptable' changes to Gaza deal, PMO says

 Israelis rally in support of a hostage deal, July 5, 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.

Israel-Hamas War day 637: What's happening in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran?

IDF announces death of two soldiers in Gaza • UN pulls IAEA nuclear inspectors out of Iran

 A Palestinian carries water amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip February 4, 2025

Security cabinet convenes to discuss reports of Hamas's positive response to hostage deal

Chaim Rotter named as sexual assault suspect • Senior Hamas leaders in Doha told to lay down weapons • Danish police investigate shipment received by Israeli embassy

 Protesters call for the release of Israelis held kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, at Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv, June 18, 2025.

Syria's Sharaa makes moves toward Abraham Accords to reduce Turkish influence

While Erdogan is doing everything to delegitimize Israel, any agreement between Israel and Syria "also undermines Turkey’s strategy," Yanarocak told Maariv.

 Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Can Syria’s new leadership be trusted? A closer look at President al-Sharaa – opinion

An Abraham Accords-style breakthrough will only be possible between Syria and Israel if one person—President Trump—brings Netanyahu and al-Sharaa together to seal the deal.

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria, March 10, 2025

IDF elite unit 504 interrogations lead to bust of Iranian terror cell operating in southern Syria

The elite IDF unit 504 provided intelligence that led to the arrests of multiple members of an Iranian terrorist cell in southern Syria.

 IDF soldiers seen operating in southern Syria, in pictures dated to March 2025