Syrian Civil War

Syria, Iraq stir hope despite memories of war with resumption of Shiite pilgrimages- analysis

The prospect of renewed activity has also revived concerns among Syrians who remember the involvement of Iran-backed armed groups in the country's civil war.

|ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
Shiite muslim pilgrims hold portraits of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (R), Imam Ali (C) and depiction of Sayyida Zaynab bint Ali ibn Abi Talib (L) as they march to the shrine city of Karbala ahead of commemorations for Arbaeen on July 19, 2026.
Jordan occupies a critical position between Israel, Iraq and Syria, making the kingdom an important buffer against weapons smuggling, militant infiltration and Iranian efforts to expand its regional influence.

Syrian, Jordanian military chiefs discuss defense cooperation to counter border security threats

“The call addressed a number of issues of mutual interest and ways to advance cooperation and coordination between Syria and Jordan in the defense field.”

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
(L-R) Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the backdrop of Syrian and Israeli flags (illustrative)

Why does Trump wants Israel to withdraw from Syria, and what does it mean for the IDF? - analysis

For Israel, there is no real strategic or tactical need to keep up the friction with Syrian villages along the buffer zone - and a re-think may be necessary in the future.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani in Beirut, Lebanon, July 2, 2026.

Syrian FM visits Beirut after Trump suggests Damascus should fight Hezbollah

The Syrian minister, Asaad al-Shibani, met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his first stop, and then headed for a meeting with the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.

|ByREUTERS

At least 100,000 bodies in Syrian mass grave, US advocacy group head says

Corpses were also transported to sites by the Damascus municipal funeral office whose personnel helped unload them from refrigerated tractor-trailers.

DECEMBER 17, 2024ByREUTERS
A drone view shows the site of a mass grave from the rule of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, according to residents, after the ousting of al-Assad, in Al Qutayfah, Syria, December 17, 2024.

HTS commander reveals how the group brought down Assad's regime in 11 days - report

Rebels launched their offensive on November 27, the same day the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire went into effect.

DECEMBER 14, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
A rebel fighter stands atop of a military vehicle as he carries a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham flag in Saraqeb town in northwestern Idlib province, Syria December 1, 2024.

Russia urged Assad to leave after determining he'd lost the war

Assad fled Damascus without telling any advisors out of fear that they would betray him.

DECEMBER 12, 2024ByCORINNE BAUM
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visit the Hmeymim air base in Latakia Province, Syria December 11, 2017.

Syrian turmoil resurfaces: Turkey rises, Iran threatens, and regional alliances shift - opinion

The Syrian civil war highlights shifting alliances, Turkey's ascendance, and enduring threats from Iran and jihadists.

DECEMBER 8, 2024ByDR. ERIC R. MANDEL
Smoke rises, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 8, 2024.

UN chief says future of Syria up to Syrians, UN will help

Guterres calls for calm during political transition as UN envoy Pedersen describes potential "turning point" after 14 years of conflict.

DECEMBER 8, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
UN Sec.-Gen. Antonio Guterres speaks at a Security Council meeting earlier this year. The UN, which was created in part as a response to the horrors of World War II, has singled out Israel in a way that resembles the legal discrimination that led to the persecution of Jews in the 1930s and 1940s.

Syrians to 'Post': 'Syrian people are experiencing profound joy'

Syrian voices discuss Assad’s fall, impacts on Iran, minorities, opposition unity, and future alliances.

DECEMBER 8, 2024ByOHAD MERLIN
Hayvi Bouzo and Anas Al-Marfou'. (illustration).

Bewildered, elated prisoners pour out as Assad's jails flung open

All across Syria, families wept as they were reunited with children, siblings, spouses, and parents who vanished years ago into the impregnable gulag of the Assad dynasty's five-decade rule.

DECEMBER 8, 2024ByREUTERS
Top rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani greets people at Ummayad Mosque in Damascus, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad, Syria December 8, 2024.

Assad’s fall and Syria’s chaos: Israel’s high-stakes moment in a ‘new Middle East’ - analysis

The New Middle East is a region where war and enmity still dominate but where the balance of power has shifted dramatically.

DECEMBER 8, 2024ByHERB KEINON
Smoke rises, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 8, 2024.

IDF: Assad's fall marks end of Iran's axis of resistance, new challenges ahead in Syria

Israeli military sources note a new era in Syria offers lots of historic opportunities and serious dangers.

DECEMBER 8, 2024ByYONAH JEREMY BOB
Israeli soldiers take a position in the Golan Heights, near the Israeli border with Syria, northern Israel, December 8, 2024.

'This is just a fundamental change in the equation of the entire Middle East,' Biden officials says

A line can be drawn from the "fateful decisions" that the US and Iran made in the days after October 7 to today, according to the official. 

DECEMBER 8, 2024ByHANNAH SARISOHN
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, at the White House, in Washington, U.S., December 8, 2024.