Syria

Talking about Israel-Arab peace while the missiles are falling - opinion

If we cannot speak about peace while the missiles are falling, then our enemies will determine not only our security agenda but also the boundaries of our imagination.

|ByGERSHON BASKIN
Part of an Iranian ballistic missile is seen in the desert near Vered Yeriho in the West Bank after being fired toward Israel from Iran, June 8, 2026.
Kuwaiti officials inspect damage inside a terminal at Kuwait International Airport following a drone and missile attack, in Kuwait City, Kuwait, June 3, 2026.

As Iran weakens, Gulf states are looking beyond the Strait of Hormuz - analysis

The big question in the Gulf is whether Iran will continue to carry out missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries. This includes threats to all the countries Iran has hit.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa holds an "America is back" hat signed by US President Donald Trump next to Lebanon Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington DC, April 23, 2026.

Lebanon peace talks expose a widening rift between Europe, the region - opinion

The Iran war and Lebanon talks highlight new alliances that are reshaping the Middle East landscape.

|ByGOL KALEV
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during the closing event of the SAHA 2026 International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul, Turkey, May 8, 2026.

Erdogan says Israel’s ‘aggression’ threatens Turkey, entire Mediterranean region

Erdogan also said there were initiatives, led by Israel, to destabilize the Mediterranean region and warned that "nobody should chase adventures" or join Israel's "boat of mischief."

|ByREUTERS

How Palestinianism wages war on Zionism and Jewish history - opinion

From history to theology, Jewish ties to Israel predate modern Palestinian nationalism.

MAY 31, 2026ByYISRAEL MEDAD
A PRO-PALESTINIAN protest takes place in Chicago on October 8, 2023.

Tom Barrack leaves Syria envoy role after steering post-Assad outreach

A Lebanese-American real estate billionaire and longtime ally of US President Donald Trump, Barrack chaired Trump’s 2017 inauguration committee before taking on diplomatic responsibilities. 

MAY 31, 2026ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
US SPECIAL ENVOY for Syria Tom Barrack speaks at a news conference in Damascus in September 2025.

After years-long drought where Syria, Iraq were running out of water, dams are now full - analysis

Now, Syria is saying water levels have stabilized. Nevertheless, the flooding and the change in water flows show that the region is not on a one-way street to drought.

MAY 31, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Fishermen ride in their boat through the Iraqi Hawizeh Marsh in Maysan province, southern Iraq, after water returned due to rainfall following a long period of drought on April 26, 2026.

New Syrian chemical weapons find could help prosecute perpetrators of war crimes, experts say

Syrian Authorities have detained 18 individuals suspected of involvement in operating and managing the Assad regime’s chemical weapons program.

MAY 30, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI / THE MEDIA LINE
A drawing exhibition by a group of young men and women depicting various scenes related to the chemical attack, during an event commemorating the 12th anniversary of the attack on August 21, 2025 in Moadamiyat Al-Sham, Syria.

‘Rebuilding a country the size of Syria means contracts worth billions of dollars,’ expert says

Renewed attention to reconstruction opportunities is colliding with unresolved sanctions exposure, weak institutions, damaged infrastructure, and uncertainty over Syria’s political future

MAY 29, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI / THE MEDIA LINE
Syrians gather to mark the anniversary of the 2011 uprising against the ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria March 15, 2026.

Could Trump’s push for Abraham Accords undermine long-term peace? - analysis

Trump is increasing pressure on Gulf countries to join the Abraham Accords, but experts warn that forcing states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar could backfire.

MAY 28, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
US President Donald Trump raises a fist as he departs after delivering a speech about the economy at Rockland Community College Fieldhouse in Suffern, New York, on May 22, 2026.

Australian woman charged with joining Islamic State after returning from Syrian refugee camp

The 34-year-old traveled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 with others, including a man, to allegedly join the Islamic State, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a statement.

MAY 28, 2026ByREUTERS
Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the Islamic State militants wait to leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria April 24, 2026.

Syria establishes task force to find and destroy last 'Assad-era chemical weapons'

In a separate report by the AFP in Arab News, it was reported on Wednesday that “dozens of undeclared chemical weapons have been found in Syria."

MAY 27, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Ghouta residents commemorate the 12th anniversary of the chemical attack on August 21, 2025 in Zamalka, Syria. On 21 August 2013 President Bashar al-Assad ordered strikes on two opposition-controlled areas of Ghouta, in the suburbs around Damascus.

Syrian officials find remnants of chemical weapons program from Assad regime era - report

The country’s government had “located remnants of former Syrian ‌president Bashar al-Assad's clandestine chemical weapons program, including raw materials and munitions."

MAY 26, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Chemical weapons disposal [file]

Second group of Australian women linked to Islamic State to return home

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government was not assisting their travel and that any who have committed crimes "can expect to face the full force of the law."

MAY 26, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A group of supporters surround an Islamic State-linked family, as they arrive at Melbourne international airport, in Melbourne, Australia, May 7, 2026.