Syria

Syria cracks down on Hezbollah plots, drug smuggling

Syria is cracking down on terrorist plots and drug trade, busting Iran-backed terror cells and shutting down Hezbollah-linked smuggling plots.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A view of the drugs seized in a successful operation carried out by the Anti-Narcotics Directorate in the Jaramana district of Rif Dimashq province, displayed at the Anti-Narcotics Directorate in Damascus, Syria on April 15, 2026.
Security forces guard a damaged bridge as people cross over the Euphrates River as Syrian army forces deploy in parts of the eastern province formerly controlled by Kurdish forces following their withdrawal from the area on January 22, 2026 in Deir ez-Zor, Syria.

Damascus claims to arrest more Hezbollah-linked cell members behind plot to kill rabbi

Rabbi Michael Khoury was the reported target of an attack, state media said that the cell intended to target “a religious figure in the vicinity of the Maronite Church in Bab Touma on April 11."

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hold a press conference at the Chancellery, in Berlin, Germany March 30, 2026.

EU to restore Syria relations, strengthen trade and security ties, document shows

Syria, which had most Western sanctions lifted at the end of last year, is seeking broader integration into the international community under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

|ByREUTERS
The Chief of the General Staff Visited the Israeli Navy March 26, 2025

Israeli Navy hits Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza targets with precision strikes

With over 1,000 naval combat soldiers at sea for over 26,000 hours in only 47 days of the current Iran-Hezbollah war, the navy said on Thursday.

|ByYONAH JEREMY BOB

Why Mike Huckabee's interview with Tucker Carlson matters for the Middle East - analysis

The interview has led to a debate in some sectors about how views on Israel and the Middle East are shaping US policy, and also how religious views have shaped policy in the region.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
(L-R) US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Tucker Carlson

Weakened but willful: Experts tell ‘Post’ Hezbollah role in potential Iran war possible but costly

The assessment comes only days before the Saudi media outlet Al-Arabiya reported that Hezbollah is now being led by officers from Tehran’s IRGC.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
A person holds a flag with an image of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as people wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV, during his first apostolic journey, in Beirut, Lebanon, November 30, 2025.

Crisis-driver or Gaza stabilizer? Why Turkey believes it switched roles with Israel - analysis

Ankara feels that from the Horn of Africa to the Eastern Mediterranean and Syria and Iraq it has increased its influence greatly in the last years. 

FEBRUARY 22, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
The flags of Turkey and Israel are flown as President Isaac Herzog makes a state visit to Turkey, March 9, 2022.

Australia denies it is working to repatriate Islamic State family members

The 34 women and children were released on Monday from the camp in northern Syria, but returned to the detention center due to technical reasons.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026ByREUTERS
Women and children queue in the rain during a joint security operation by Syria's Kurdish Internal Security Police Force, and the Kurdish-led SDF at Camp Roj where foreign relatives of people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group are held, April 5, 2025.

Islamic State begins new phase of operations against Syrian regime with two terror attacks

The terrorist group said on its Dabiq news agency that it had targeted “an individual of the apostate Syrian regime” in the city of Mayadin in Deir al-Zor province using a pistol.

FEBRUARY 22, 2026ByREUTERS
A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa June 29, 2014.

As Ramadan meets Purim, Jews and Muslims must choose shared humanity over fear - opinion

Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jews in ancient Persia over 2,000 years ago. It is rooted in the broader Middle Eastern landscape, where Jews have part of this region since antiquity.

FEBRUARY 21, 2026ByMENDY CHITRIK
PALESTINIAN MUSLIMS are seen praying at the Temple Mount during the holy month Ramadan, in Jerusalem, on February 17, 2026.

Saved by a square: A rainy-day miracle at Jerusalem’s Hebrew Music Museum

When rain shut down Dead Sea plans, the Hebrew Music Museum turned a Birthright setback into an unforgettable Jerusalem experience.

FEBRUARY 21, 2026ByHOWARD BLAS
Kikar Hamusica: View of Jerusalem’s Music Square with its various restau rants and outdoor music performance spaces.

Syria might close Roj Camp, last site holding ISIS-linked families, soon, officials say

The report comes after other reports have claimed that some 15,000 people left another large camp called Al-Hol. These are some of the 50,000 families of ISIS fighters who surrendered back in 2019.

FEBRUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Roj camp, where people believed to be linked to the Islamic State militants are held, near Derik, Syria February 16, 2026.

From Rojava to the world: Kurdish-Jewish solidarity is a necessity - opinion

Memory, security, and a shifting Middle East reshape the meaning of Kurdish-Jewish solidarity as Rojava faces existential tests.

FEBRUARY 19, 2026ByAMED MARDIN
GENERAL HUSSEIN Yazdanpanah, commander-in-chief of the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK).

US anti-ISIS mission in Syria is ending - analysis

Ever since the last ISIS enclave was cleared, the US has been backing the SDF to continue to crack down on any ISIS cells that pop up and also to detain the ISIS fighters.

FEBRUARY 19, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
US military vehicles drive in Hasaka, Syria December 6, 2024; illustrative.