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.

Last of Australian ISIS linked families leave Syrian camps

Seven Australian women and 14 children recently arrived in Damascus from the Roj camp in northeast Syria, marking the departure of the last known Australian group from camps for ISIS-linked families.

MAY 24, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the Islamic State militants wait to leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria April 24, 2026.

Turkey captures ten wanted ISIS terrorists in cross-border operation with Syria

Investigators say one of the key figures is Omer Deniz Dundar, who is linked to the planning of the deadly 2015 bombing at Ankara’s main train station.

MAY 24, 2026|ByELI LEON

Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather during an intensive security deployment after Islamic State militants took it over the previous day in Luhaiban village in Kirkuk, Iraq December 6, 2021.

Iraq’s 1,200-km. trade route could redraw the Middle East - analysis

Iraq has some reticence, in part because Iranian-backed militias in Iraq oppose the new government in Damascus. However, trade may prove more important than sectarian ideology.

MAY 23, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Syrians gather to mark the anniversary of the 2011 uprising against the ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria March 15, 2026.

Syria pushes to gain closer ties with Western powers as it reaches meetings with G7, NATO, and WHO

The concept is to bring Syria into many key international organizations and to increase the country’s stability and investment opportunities.

MAY 23, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Shavuot in the southern Golan: Springs, wineries, and ancient Jewish heritage

The southern Golan Heights emerges as a living landscape where archaeology, hospitality, and community life meet against dramatic volcanic terrain.

MAY 22, 2026ByNOAM BEDEIN

Mitzpe Hashalom: Twilight settles over the entire expanse of the Kinneret as seen from the wooden cabins of Mitzpe Hashalom, where the cliffside horizon softens into a panoramic evening glow.

Australian women linked to ISIS leave Syrian camp - report

The Australian government has previously ruled out providing direct assistance for the return of Australian families linked to ISIS.

MAY 22, 2026ByREUTERS

The Arab Spring is dead, and a new social contract has replaced it - analysis

Across the Arab world in 2026, ideology is giving way to pragmatism, as publics prioritize stability, security, and economic delivery over reform

MAY 21, 2026BySAGIV STEINBERG

A demonstrator holds empty tear gas canisters during a protest over the deteriorating economic situation, in Riad al-Solh Square in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2023.

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ISIS escalates rhetoric, seeks ‘new phase of fighting’ in Syria - analysis

Foreign fighters and sleeper cells remain a security concern as the group tries to revive its networks after years of territorial collapse.

MAY 21, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE

A still image taken from an Islamic State (ISIS) video

Syria building US relations while serving pivotal regional role - analysis

Syria knows that working on ties with Israel will be helpful because the US is very close to Israel and focused on Israeli relations currently.

MAY 20, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

A SYRIAN flag is displayed outside the White House following the meeting of US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, November 10, 2025.

Turkey’s strategy for long-term dominance in the Middle East - opinion

After Assad’s fall, Turkey is quietly building a new sphere of influence across Syria.

MAY 19, 2026ByAMINE AYOUB

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, meets with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Ankara, last April. Ankara is quietly assembling the architecture of permanent regional power, the writer says.

WATCH: Car bomb explodes near Defense Ministry building in Damascus

Syria’s health ministry said emergency and ambulance teams had responded to the explosion, which killed one soldier and wounded around 12 people.

MAY 19, 2026ByREUTERS

A member of the security personnel arrives at the scene near a burning vehicle following an explosion in Damascus on May 19, 2026.

Kurdish families return to Afrin, Syria after years of displacement

After the invasion, around 150,000 Kurds were forced to flee. The Syrian rebel groups included extremists and they were involved in abuses, including the kidnapping of Kurdish civilians.

MAY 19, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN