This is Beirut

Syrian Army Clashes with Narcotics Smugglers on Lebanese Border

This is Beirut, 26/09 09:55 - Reading : less than a minute

The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that army units clashed with a group of narcotics smugglers near Dabousiya, west of Homs, along the Lebanese-Syrian border. In a statement, the ministry said the confrontation led to the seizure of a batch of drugs, which was handed over to the competent authorities. It added that operations to ...

Syrian Kurdish Forces Say Five Members Killed in IS Attack

This is Beirut, 25/09 17:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

USA Kurds Syria ISIS

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said that an attack on Thursday by Islamic State group militants in Syria's east killed five of its members. IS jihadists, once in control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria, were territorially defeated in Syria in 2019 in a battle spearheaded by the SDF with support from an international ...

The United Nations: A Global Stage Without Teeth

Salam El Zaatari, 25/09 10:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

UN Syria Iraq United States

When Donald Trump addressed the UN General Assembly yesterday, his words reignited an old debate: Is the United Nations an effective institution for peace and security, or merely a costly theater where leaders posture? Trump called the UN “obsolete,” echoing his long-standing skepticism about multilateral organizations. But behind the bluster ...

Washington Lifts Broad Sanctions on Syria but Maintains Pressure on Assad Allies

This is Beirut, 25/09 09:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

State department United States Sanctions Syria Bachar el-Assad

The US Department of the Treasury has announced a sweeping overhaul of its sanctions' regime targeting Syria. In a statement released Wednesday, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the publication of a final rule amending the regulations on sanctions related to Syria. This update, which implements two presidential executive ...

One Million Syrian Refugees Returned from abroad Since Assad Fall

This is Beirut, 24/09 21:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria United Nations Syrian Refugees

One million Syrian refugees have returned from abroad since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last December, the United Nations said Wednesday, urging more support to allow others to follow. "In just nine months, one million Syrians have returned to their country following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government on 8 December 2024," ...

Al-Sharaa Hopes for Security Deal with Israel, Downplays Normalisation

This is Beirut, 22/09 19:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa Israel

Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, visiting New York for the UN General Assembly, voiced hope Monday for a security deal that eases tensions with Israel, but he played down the prospect of recognition. Sharaa, a former jihadist whose forces toppled longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December, met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He will ...

The Path to Peace Is Underway

This is Beirut, 21/09 18:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Hezbollah Syria Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration on Sunday that peace with Lebanon and Syria is now “possible” may be the most consequential statement on regional diplomacy in years. Coming after decades of hostility, wars, and missed opportunities, the prospect of reconciliation with Israel’s northern neighbors is ...

Peace with Syria and Lebanon Is on the Way...

This is Beirut, 21/09 16:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel Lebanon Syria Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah has created the opportunity of peace with Lebanon and Syria. “Our victories in Lebanon against Hezbollah have opened a window of opportunities that was unimaginable before our recent operations; there is a possibility of peace with our ...

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Heads to US to Address UN General Assembly

This is Beirut, 21/09 13:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ahmed al-Sharaa United States UN General Assembly Syria New York

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa departed for the United States, state media reported Sunday, on a landmark trip that will see the former jihadist address the United Nations General Assembly. State television said Sharaa was en route "to the United States of America to participate in the affairs of the 80th session of the United Nations General ...

IS Leader Killed in US Airstrike in Syria

This is Beirut, 19/09 22:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Islamic State United States Syria

American forces carried out a raid in Syria on Friday, killing a senior operative from the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, the US military said. "Omar Abdul Qader was an ISIS member actively seeking to attack the United States," the military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement, using an alternate acronym for IS. "His death ...

UN Syria Envoy Geir Pedersen Resigns After Seven Years in Post

This is Beirut, 18/09 21:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Geir Pedersen Syria United Nations

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen announced Wednesday that he is resigning “for personal reasons” after nearly seven and a half years in the post. Speaking before the UN Security Council, the Norwegian diplomat said he was “deeply indebted and deeply grateful to the Syrian people, who have shown extraordinary courage and humanity ...

Syria to Strike Security Deals with Israel by End of 2025

This is Beirut, 18/09 17:08 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Israel Syria Damas

Syria expects to finalize security and military agreements with Israel this year, an official said Thursday, in what would be a breakthrough less than a year after Bashar al-Assad's ouster. With the United States pushing for a settlement between the two neighbors, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani arrived in Washington to discuss talks with ...

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