Russia and China are strengthening Iran's military capabilities through technology and intelligence sharing to challenge American dominance, though both nations carefully limit involvement to protect their economic interests and relations with US allies.
Turkey's strategic position offers the European Union a critical pathway to influence Syria's political transformation, reconstruction efforts, and regional security architecture following Assad's regime collapse, enabling broader geopolitical cooperation beyond migration management.
Israel and Turkey have shifted from diplomatic allies to regional competitors, with tensions escalating from Gaza disputes to overlapping military interests in post-Assad Syria, where Israel has struck Turkish positions to prevent Turkish military expansion threatening Israeli security.
Trump claims the war with Iran will end immediately after the US midterm elections in November.
Trump administration removed top Al Qaeda recruiters and financiers, including Saudi cleric Abdullah Muhaysini who recruited child suicide bombers, from terrorist designations in August, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
Putin and Syrian President al-Sharaa discussed Russia-Syria relations and reached a deal converting Russian military bases Khmeimim and Tartous into joint training centers, allowing Syria greater civilian control while maintaining Moscow's strategic Middle East presence.
Syrian Foreign Minister al-Shibani and US envoy Barrack discussed lifting remaining sanctions on Syria in Istanbul, as Damascus seeks reintegration into global finance following Assad's ouster and thirteen years of civil war that cost approximately 800 billion dollars in GDP losses.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Damascus for the first time, appealing for international support to rebuild Syria after Assad's fall, while condemning Israeli actions in the Golan Heights as violations of Syrian sovereignty.
The IAEA, brokered by the US, secured a trilateral agreement with Israel and Syria's new government to extract uranium yellowcake from the clandestine Site 99 facility, eliminating a critical radiological threat following Assad's regime collapse.
The International Monetary Fund agreed to a technical assistance programme for Syria's post-civil-war economic reconstruction, focusing on fiscal reforms, financial sector rehabilitation, and data collection to support the new government's rebuilding efforts after over thirteen years of conflict.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the immediate removal of all Syria sanctions during a Damascus visit, backing the country's new rulers as they pursue post-war economic recovery following over thirteen years of conflict and Assad's December 2024 ouster.
A former UN official reflects on Syria's 15-year conflict, acknowledging international failures in diplomatic engagement and arguing that economic stabilization through private investment and sanctions removal is now essential to prevent further suffering of two-thirds of Syrians living in extreme poverty.
Turkish-Israeli rivalry intensifies amid competing regional interests and influence.
President Trump lifted comprehensive U.S. sanctions on Syria following Assad's overthrow in December 2024, removing a state sponsor of terrorism designation, illustrating complexities of genuine sanctions relief even when original policy objectives appear achieved.
Hamas's October 2023 attack triggered regional conflict expansion exploiting historical "Greater Israel" ambitions, with Israeli operations extending beyond Gaza into Lebanon and Syria, ultimately destabilizing the entire Middle East and fracturing Western-Arab alliance structures.
French Senate dispatched delegation to Syria assessing reconstruction and Franco-Syrian relations following Assad's 2024 collapse, amid security concerns and sectarian violence affecting vulnerable populations.
Assad's December 2024 regime collapse forced Washington to recalibrate Syria policy amid 15.6 million humanitarian needs, fragile transitional governance with terrorist-linked leaders, and persistent ISIS threats, complicating U.S. engagement with Syria's new administration.
Syrians protested economic collapse for a second week, burning regime banners and demanding political change, echoing the 2011 uprising that sparked civil war. Ethiopia's food aid freeze left 20 million facing catastrophic hunger with 30 percent malnutrition rates.
Syria's government raised diesel and petrol prices by 40 and 28 percent overnight, triggering nationwide protests as nearly 90 percent of impoverished Syrians face soaring transport and food costs, threatening economic survival.
EU asylum requests have fallen to a five-year low, with 332,000 applications in the first half of 2026.
Trump's administration is drafting a new Middle East strategy after the war.
Israel recognized Somaliland in December 2025, sparking international backlash from the Arab League, African Union, and European Union, who cited territorial integrity concerns, though critics argue opposition stems from geopolitics rather than principle.
The United States removed Syria from its terrorism sponsor list in July 2024, clearing a major barrier to the country's reintegration into global financial systems after decades of isolation and civil war devastation.
Four unidentified aircraft struck Abu al-Zuhour military airport in Syria's Idlib on Tuesday, the first attack since Assad's December 2024 fall, amid escalating regional tensions and ongoing Israeli military operations in Syrian territory.
Syrian American cardiologist Dr. Zaki Lababidi witnessed renewed hope in his hometown after Trump removed Syria from the state sponsors of terrorism list, enabling sanctions relief, foreign investment, and economic recovery following decades of conflict and isolation.
Syria's new government agreed with the IAEA three weeks ago to remove nuclear material from Site 99, a secret facility linked to North Korea-assisted nuclear programs, addressing non-proliferation concerns following Assad's collapse.
Syria agreed to drastically reduce Russian oil imports during negotiations with the United States regarding removal from the state sponsors of terrorism list, marking a significant geopolitical shift as Washington seeks to diminish Moscow's economic influence in Damascus.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Syria for the first time since 2009, touring Sednaya Prison to highlight decades of regime repression, declaring Syria faces a "moment of opportunity" to rebuild after conflict and establish a stable, inclusive future.
Pakistan's sophisticated diplomacy prevented Israel's expansionist military campaign from succeeding by deterring Gulf states from joining the conflict and de-escalating US-Iran tensions in 2026, halting a broader regional war.
President Trump met Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa at the NATO Summit, signaling a diplomatic shift toward normalizing US-Syria relations and potentially removing Syria's terrorism designation to facilitate reconstruction and regional stability.
US policymakers propose transforming Lebanon's predatory state-controlled economy into a neutral competitive market through strict enforcement of rule of law, independent regulatory institutions, and redirecting aid toward individuals rather than sectarian cartels to dismantle the mafia-militia alliance.
Israeli F-35s struck Turkish-planned Syrian airbase sites in March, forcing Ankara's abandonment without retaliation, exemplifying how two capable regional militaries operate near conflict while maintaining a technical deconfliction channel to prevent full-scale war.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani orchestrated diplomatic breakthroughs across the Middle East and West, securing Syria's removal from the US terrorism list and restoring international relations after decades of Assad regime isolation.
The Trump administration plans to delist Syria as a terrorism sponsor 18 months after Assad's overthrow, as interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa seeks diplomatic normalization, though security threats and Israeli occupation complicate Syria's stability and reintegration.
Syria's new leadership faces state reconstruction amid economic hardship, sectarian divisions, and social unrest, yet operates under five illusions: collaborating with Assad-era factions, expecting foreign investment, maintaining inherited laws, and failing to deliver promised reforms, threatening legitimacy.
Hundreds of Syrians protested in the Kurdish-majority northeast city of Qamishli against fuel price increases of 26-40 percent announced by new authorities, marking the first major demonstrations since Assad's December 2024 ouster ended 24 years of authoritarian rule.
Iran launched precision missiles at US warships in the Persian Gulf amid escalating Middle East tensions, while Israel intensified operations in Lebanon and Yemen's Houthis captured strategic territory, driving regional instability and oil price increases.
The U.S. delisted Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism in August 2026, removing investment barriers and betting on reformed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former Islamic State-linked militant, despite concerns about thousands of remaining jihadist fighters embedded in Syrian security forces.
Iran's two-decade regional dominance, built through allied militias and nuclear ambitions, faced severe setbacks since 2024 after direct conflicts with Israel, Assad's fall, and joint US-Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities, fundamentally weakening its strategic position.
Analyst Vijay Prashad argues Iran shifted strategic focus from nuclear programs to the Strait of Hormuz, exploiting US-Israeli miscalculations about Iranian resilience and regional capabilities, ultimately exposing American power limitations.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, who became Syria's president in January 2025 after the al-Assad dynasty fell, outlines his vision for transforming Syria into a modern Arab democracy through restored international relations and gradual democratic restoration.
Russia established a covert Caspian Sea supply corridor to arm Iran, circumventing US maritime pressure while replicating its Syrian strategy, enabling billions in military exchanges and drone production amid expanding regional conflict.
The UN awarded approximately $10 million in contracts to at least 11 companies with documented Assad-era ties during 2025, after the regime's December 2024 collapse, raising accountability concerns during Syria's political transition.
Russia provides Iran real-time satellite intelligence and GLONASS navigation for precise missile strikes, while China supplies 400 advanced air-defense systems, marking an escalation where both powers openly support Iran against U.S. Middle East influence.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told Al Jazeera that Damascus is actively negotiating a security agreement with Israel involving multiple countries, hoping it paves the way for comprehensive regional peace while protecting Syria's rights to occupied Golan Heights.
Israel-Turkiye relations have hit rock bottom due to disagreements over Gaza and genocide recognition.
Israeli Defence Minister Katz vowed to permanently maintain military buffer zones across Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza despite US pressure, citing security concerns post-October 7 and directly contradicting Trump's reported withdrawal demands.
Syria's newly appointed transitional parliament convened for the first time following Bashar al-Assad's overthrow, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa urging lawmakers to prioritize national interests while drafting a constitution and rebuilding the war-devastated economy.
The US removed Syria from its state sponsor of terrorism list in May 2025, sparking cautious optimism among Syrians and businesses seeking economic recovery after decades of sanctions devastated exports and the trade deficit since 2011.
The United States removed Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list following President Trump's meeting with Syrian leader al-Sharaa, pledging American investment and support for post-war reconstruction after the 2024 fall of Assad's regime.