This is Beirut, 17/08 11:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said the battle to unify his country after years of civil war "should not be with blood", rejecting any partition and accusing Israel of meddling in the south. His remarks, released by state TV on Sunday, came as hundreds demonstrated in south Syria's Sweida province, denouncing sectarian ...
This is Beirut, 16/08 21:30 - Reading : less than a minute
Syrian state media said a car bomb exploded in Damascus on Saturday evening without causing casualties. "An explosion was heard in the Mazzeh area," state news agency SANA said, referring to an upscale area of Damascus also home to embassies and United Nations offices. State television said the blast was caused by "an explosive device planted ...
This is Beirut, 14/08 11:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Damascus United Nations Alawites War
A UN commission investigating sectarian bloodshed in Syria's Alawite heartland documented systematic violence at the hands of government forces and allied groups, warning Thursday that some of the acts could constitute war crimes. The violence in March unfolded along Syria's predominantly Alawite Mediterranean coast, where security personnel ...
Moncef Ait-Kaci, 12/08 18:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
UN Security Council Damascus Internal Security Forces United Nations
In Sweida, the worst escalation in years erupted on July 12 after reciprocal kidnappings between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes spiraled into rapidly escalating armed clashes. The Syrian Army intervened but, according to the UN and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the fighting left more than 1,400 dead, mostly Druze civilians, and ...
Philippe Abi-Akl, 05/08 08:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
UN Security Council Damascus Donald Trump Hezbollah Shebaa
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Ahmad al-Sharaa as Syria’s president, the political landscape has dramatically shifted. Long-held narratives have unraveled, and entrenched positions reversed, including those concerning territory, borders, and the disputed Shebaa Farms. No longer using Shebaa as a pretext for resistance under ...
Liliane Mokbel, 02/08 12:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The Levant’s maritime landscape is rapidly shifting. Since the easing of Western sanctions on Syria, investors have flocked to its shores. Emirati logistics giant DP World has launched an $800 million investment plan to modernize Tartus port. Meanwhile, CMA CGM is investing $262 million in Lattakia, and China is expanding its footprint in ...
Mario Chartouni, 31/07 19:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
European Union Damascus Israel Middle East Tehran
In the heart of the Caucasus, Azerbaijan stands out for its unconventional geopolitical alignments. Though predominantly Shia in religious composition, this secular post-Soviet republic has positioned itself as one of Israel’s closest allies and a strategic partner to the West, all while maintaining a strained relationship with neighboring ...
This is Beirut, 30/07 19:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Damascus Israel United States Syria Baku
A Syrian-Israeli ministerial meeting is set to take place Thursday in Baku to discuss security matters in southern Syria, a diplomat told AFP. The meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer follows a similar meeting between the two ministers in Paris last week. It will take ...
This is Beirut, 30/07 12:20 - Reading : less than a minute
Turkey will start exporting natural gas from Azerbaijan to Syria from Saturday, the energy minister said on Wednesday. Syria's authorities, who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, are seeking to rebuild the country's infrastructure and economy after almost 14 years of civil war. The conflict badly damaged Syria's power infrastructure, leading ...
This is Beirut, 28/07 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus United Nations Druze Aid
A new humanitarian aid convoy reached southern Syria's Druze heartland on Monday, official media said, as the United Nations warned the humanitarian situation in Sweida province was critical after deadly violence. Clashes in Druze-majority Sweida province, which began on July 13 and ended with a ceasefire a week later, initially involved Druze ...
This is Beirut, 25/07 08:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
USA Damascus Israel Tom Barrack
The US special envoy for Syria said he held talks with Syrian and Israeli officials in Paris on Thursday on de-escalating sectarian violence in Syria. "I met this evening with the Syrians and Israelis in Paris. Our goal was dialogue and de-escalation, and we accomplished precisely that," said the envoy, Tom Barrack, on X. "All parties reiterated ...
This is Beirut, 24/07 21:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
A Syrian government source said Thursday that it rejected allowing the Kurds — who control vast territories in the north and east of the country — to keep their weapons, as a new round of negotiations on their integration into the Syrian state was scheduled, according to state media. The Kurds are engaged in negotiations with central ...