Damascus

Damascus calls Hezbollah ‘terrorist militia’, partners with Iraq to stop arms smuggling

The ministry said specialized security units intercepted a suspicious vehicle near the Syrian-Iraqi border and discovered a cache of long-range missiles, guided anti-tank missiles, and drones. 

|ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
Drones displayed by Syria's Interior Ministry after authorities said they were seized during an operation that foiled an alleged cross-border weapons smuggling attempt near the al-Tanf border crossing with Iraq, July 16, 2026.
Women prepare for Eid al-Adha prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, May 27, 2026.

Women’s OIC conference in Pakistan sees Syrian delegation after 14 years

Syria’s minister of social affairs and labor, Hind Kabawat, led the delegation, as few Afghan women were represented in their fight for rights under Taliban rule.

|ByARSHAD MEHMOOD/THE MEDIA LINE
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani attend a joint press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, July 2, 2026

Lebanon, Syria launch talks to reset trade ties, review Assad-era deals

The two countries have been undertaking a reset in ties since the end of nearly half a century of Assad family rule that saw Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon for almost 30 years.

|ByREUTERS
Members of Syria's new People's Assembly attend the legislature's inaugural session in Damascus, marking the first parliament to convene since the fall of former President Bashar Assad.

Syria’s parliament opens with quiet break from Assad era

Lawmakers sought to establish a legislature focused on oversight, representation, and institutional independence rather than displays of loyalty.

|ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE

Syria’s limited Kurdish election exposes limits of Damascus’s democratic transition - analysis

Syria had already held types of limited elections in other areas of Syria last year. However, areas outside government control did not hold a vote.

MAY 25, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Children hold signs on the day Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026.

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
A woman with braided hair during a solidarity demonstration in Erbil, Iraq's Kurdish region, on January 23, 2026. The symbolic gesture supports Kurdish female fighters in Syria following a viral video of a Syrian soldier bragging about cutting a fighter's braid.

Who gets to belong? Palestinians in Syria confront old suspicions under new rule

Arrests, media attacks, and changes in official terminology have deepened anxiety among Palestinian refugees over their legal status and place in Syrian society.

MAY 13, 2026ByWASEEM ABU MAHADI/THE MEDIA LINE
PROTESTERS GATHER outside the entrance of Yarmouk refugee camp to condemn the Israeli death penalty law for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks, in Damascus, Syria, April 1, 2026.

UAE deepens economic ties with Damascus, eyes major investment in Syria's postwar reconstruction

The UAE is looking to increase its role in Syria via investment while taking a cautious approach. Key talks discussed expanding economic and investment cooperation during a two-day forum in Damascus.

MAY 13, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Direction and distance sign for the Syrian capital of Damascus at Mount Bental Israeli military outpost on the Syrian border

Syria appoints new cabinet as government settles into power

The reshuffle, announced by Syrian state media, included the appointment of new governors for several key provinces.

MAY 10, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa looks on as he arrives for a working session of the European Council and regional partners during an informal meeting in Nicosia on April 24, 2026.

ISIS disrupts Damascus calm, says it assassinated Shi'ite figure

The attack, which took place on May 1, 2026, revived memories of the group’s past hit-and-run operations targeting carefully selected religious and military figures.

MAY 10, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
FARHAN Hassan al-Mansour.

Syria’s crackdown on Hezbollah shows Damascus's commitment to security - analysis

Hezbollah entered Syria in large numbers around 2012-2013 via the city of Qusayr, with its role in Syria diminishing since the fall of the Assad regime.

MAY 6, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Syrian army soldier stands guard next to an armoured vehicle positioned along the SyrianLebanese border in the rural area of Al Qusayr on April 1, 2026.

Syria thwarts Hezbollah-affiliated plot to assassinate gov’t officials, Interior Ministry announces

Hezbollah put out a statement denying the “false accusations” that it was behind the cell, asserting it had no presence on Syrian territory.

MAY 6, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Syrian police vehicles drive along a road in the town of Dayr Hafir east of Aleppo, Syria, on January 17, 2026.

Does Syria’s rise in the Press Freedom Index reflect reality? - analysis

Syria climbed 36 places in the 2026 Reporters Without Borders ranking, but deep constraints on independent journalism remain.

MAY 6, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI / THE MEDIA LINE
A journalist wearing a press vest holds his camera during a protest in Idlib, Syria on August 11, 2025.