This is Beirut - Damascus

Lebanon-Syria: Update on Missing Persons and Detainees

Soumia Benmerzoug, 11/09 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Damascus Syria Detainees Missing Bilateral

The two countries unveiled the creation of joint committees tasked with handling three key files: Lebanese citizens who went missing in Syria, Syrian prisoners currently held in Lebanon, and formal delineation of the common border. The announcement was made on September 1, 2025, during a visit to Beirut by a Syrian delegation composed of former ...

Second Group of Displaced Syrians Departs Lebanon

This is Beirut, 11/09 12:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus Lebanese Red Cross lebanon UNHCR Syria General Security

Lebanon has initiated the second phase of its organized return program for displaced Syrians through the Masnaa border crossing. The process was carried out in coordination with the Syrian government and in partnership with UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), and other humanitarian ...

Syria Announces Arrest of Hezbollah Cell in Damascus Countryside

This is Beirut, 11/09 12:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus Hezbollah Syria lebanon

The Syrian authorities announced Thursday the arrest of members of a terrorist cell affiliated with Hezbollah. According to Brigadier General Ahmad al-Dalati, commander of internal security in Rif Dimashq (the outskirts of Damascus), this cell was operating in the towns of Saasaa and Kanaker, in southern Syria. According to the authorities, the ...

Ahmed al-Sharaa to Visit Moscow in October

This is Beirut, 09/09 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus Israel Russia Ahmad al-Sharaa Moscow

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is to visit Moscow next month, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced in Damascus Tuesday, hailing a new page in ties after the overthrow of longtime ally Bashar al-Assad. "We place great importance on the coming visit to Moscow of the Syrian president in October to participate in the Russian-Arab ...

High-Level Russian Officials Arrive in Damascus

This is Beirut, 09/09 14:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Syria Russia Alexander Novak

A Russian government delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, arrived on Tuesday at Damascus International Airport. According to official Syrian news agency SANA, Novak is beginning a visit during which he will meet with several high-ranking Syrian officials. The discussions will mainly focus on economic, security and defense ...

Israeli Strike Hits Near Syrian City of Homs

This is Beirut, 09/09 09:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus Israel USA Syria

Israeli air strikes hit areas of the central and western Syrian cities of Homs and Latakia late Monday, state news agency SANA reported. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that "the Israeli strike near Homs targeted a military unit south of the city." Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in ...

Lebanon and Syria to Form Committees to Address Prisoners, Missing Persons, and Border Issues

This is Beirut, 02/09 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Hezbollah lebanon Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa MTV

Lebanon and Syria are set to establish two joint committees to tackle three major issues affecting relations between the two countries, judicial and security officials said, according to the Associated Press. The committees will focus on the fate of nearly 2,000 Syrian prisoners currently held in Lebanese prisons, locating Lebanese citizens who ...

Israeli Forces Dismantle Turkish Spy Equipment Near Damascus

This is Beirut, 28/08 16:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus Israel Syria operation

Israeli forces conducted an overnight airborne raid on a site near the Syrian capital after bombing it several times, Syrian state media reported Thursday. Israel has not confirmed the raid, but Defense Minister Israel Katz said its forces operate "in all combat zones" to ensure the country's security. If verified, it would be the ...

America’s Beirut Gamble: Barrack, Ortagus and Graham Push Lebanon Toward Peace

Salam El Zaatari, 28/08 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Ceasefire Damascus Gulf Hezbollah

When Tom Barrack, Morgan Ortagus and Senator Lindsey Graham touched down in Beirut, it was clear that the United States was no longer willing to watch Lebanon’s crisis unfold from the sidelines. Their visit was not ceremonial. It was an intervention, part carrot, part stick, designed to push Lebanon into one of the most consequential decisions ...

Lebanon and Syria: A New Diplomatic Era

Mario Chartouni, 27/08 15:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Banks Damascus Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army

A Syrian delegation is expected in Beirut later this month to address outstanding issues between the two countries. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and the election of Ahmad al-Sharaa as Syria’s president, a new dynamic has emerged. For Lebanon, this represents both an opportunity to build a more balanced relationship with ...

Unit 4400: Hezbollah’s Vulnerable Logistical Backbone

Soumia Benmerzoug, 27/08 09:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Beirut Port Damascus Israel Joseph Aoun

In the Beqaa Valley, once bustling with heavily loaded night convoys, silence now reigns. The routes that Unit 4400 used to transport weapons, drones and spare parts from Iran via Iraq and Syria are currently heavily monitored, relentlessly targeted by Israeli airstrikes and patrolled by the Lebanese Army. Once hailed as the backbone of ...

US-Brokered Israel-Syria Security Deal Possible in September?

Mario Chartouni, 26/08 17:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel USA Benjamin Netanyahu Damascus Donald Trump Syria

The Trump administration is working to secure a preliminary security agreement between Tel Aviv and Damascus ahead of the UN General Assembly in September, according to Israel National News. A source close to the talks said there is “a real possibility of reaching security arrangements” by then. Ongoing Talks and Key Players Syria’s ...

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