Syrian state media reported Wednesday that statements on signing a peace deal with Israel were "premature", days after Israel said it was interested in striking a normalisation agreement with Damascus.

Beirut, Lebanon -- The World Bank announced on Wednesday it had approved $250 million to support Lebanon's post-war reconstruction and a $146 million grant to rehabilitate neighboring Syria's electricity sector. Lebanon is reeling from last year's devastating war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Syria faces massive needs after Islamist-led...

The United Nations special envoy for Syria denounced Sunday's attack on a church in Damascus that killed at least 20 people as a "heinous crime".

For days, Syrians have watched as Iranian missiles and Israeli interceptors light up the skies over their territory, but the new government in Damascus has so far remained officially silent on the unprecedented conflict.

Key developments across the Middle East today highlight regional diplomatic, economic and humanitarian trends

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani condemned on Wednesday Israeli strikes in retaliation for overnight rocket fire, saying they were aimed at destabilising his country.

The Israeli military said it was shelling targets in Syria on Tuesday in response to a pair of projectile launches, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying he held Syria's leader "directly responsible".

On a visit to Riyadh earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said he would lift US sanctions on Syria, a move that should help pave the way for economic recovery in the war-torn country.

The Islamic State (IS) group on Thursday claimed its first attack on Syria's new government forces since the fall of longtime Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, two war monitors said.

The agreement was sealed at the presidential palace in Damascus in the presence of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US ambassador Thomas Barrack. It aims to generate 5,000 megawatts. Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir called it a "historic moment" and a "turning point" for the country's shattered infrastructure.

Damascus, Syria -- Syria's new authorities have agreed to help the United States locate and return Americans who went missing in the war-torn country, a US envoy said on Sunday. "The new Syrian government has agreed to assist the USA in locating and returning USA citizens or their remains," US...

The interior ministry restructure includes reforms and creating "a modern civil security institution that adopts transparency and respects international human rights standards".

The move was formalised Friday after being announced by Trump on a Gulf tour this month during which he shook hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa

Syria's interim leader met with Turkey's president in Istanbul on Saturday, in an unannounced visit amid efforts by the new rulers in Damascus to rebuild the war-torn country.

The leaders of pro-Iran Palestinian factions close to former ruler Bashar al-Assad have left Syria under pressure from the new authorities, Palestinian sources said Friday, a key US demand for lifting sanctions.

Damascus, Syria -- Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Thursday in Damascus that his country would ramp up energy exports to Syria to help boost electricity supplies as its neighbor seeks to recover after years of war. "We want to triple our current electricity exports to meet Syria's electricity needs,...

EU countries agreed Tuesday to lift all their remaining economic sanctions on Syria in a bid to help the war-torn country recover after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.

Morocco said Saturday it will reopen its embassy Damascus, closed since 2012, signalling renewed support for Syria after the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Washington, United States -- The World Bank on Friday said it would restart operation in Syria following a 14-year pause, after Saudi Arabia and Qatar had paid off the country's outstanding debts. The Bank's operation in Syria were halted when the civil war broke out in 2011, preventing the country...

US President Donald Trump said Thursday a deal was close on Iran's nuclear programme that would avert military action, sending oil prices tumbling, as he boasted of raising "trillions of dollars" on a Gulf tour.

US President Donald Trump landed in Doha Wednesday after visiting Riyadh, where he urged Syria's president to normalise with Israel after offering a major boost to the war-ravaged country by vowing to lift sanctions.

The hospital was established in 2006 to treat victims of the sectarian violence that erupted in Iraq in the aftermath of the US-led invasion, but has since expanded its mission.

Manama, Bahrain - Bahrain's King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa on Sunday welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Bahraini state media said, the interim leader's latest engagement with regional leaders since taking power in December. The official Bahrain News Agency said the king hosted Sharaa at his palace, where they "discussed...

Damascus, Syria - Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir said Friday Damascus and Ankara had reached a deal for Turkey to supply natural gas to the war-torn country via a pipeline in the north. "I agreed with my Turkish counterpart Alparslan Bayraktar on supplying Syria with six million cubic metres of...

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday met French leader Emmanuel Macron on his first visit to Europe since overthrowing longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, despite alarm over deadly clashes that have overshadowed the new authorities' first months in power.

Six months after Bashar al-Assad's fall, Turkey and Israel are both operating in Syria with starkly opposing agendas, stoking fears of a  confrontation unless they find a way to coexist.

Damascus, Syria - Syrian state television officially relaunched on Monday with a trial broadcast almost five months after the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad and following delays blamed on sanctions and dilapidated equipment. After Syria's new authorities took power in December, state media and other television channels, radio stations...

A deadly shooting Monday at a Damascus club, days after another attack on the capital's nightlife, has sparked fears, adding to concerns that personal freedoms may be restricted under Syria's Islamist authorities.

Israel launched more than 20 air strikes inside Syria late Friday, a war monitor said, following up an attack near the presidential palace in Damascus which was condemned as a "dangerous escalation" by the country's Islamist rulers.

Israel has since then attacked hundreds of Syrian military sites and on Friday announced its "fighter jets struck adjacent to the area of the palace" in the capital Damascus, a military statement said.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced on Sunday that they would settle Syria's debt to the World Bank totaling roughly $15 million, according to a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency. Both Gulf states have played a key role in the diplomatic outreach to Syria's new...

Washington, United States - The International Monetary Fund and World Bank's leaders said in a joint statement Thursday that they welcome efforts towards helping Syria "reintegrate with the international community." The statement, issued with Saudi Arabia's finance minister, came as Syria's central bank governor and finance minister attended the IMF...

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha. Qatar has been a key backer of the new administration in Damascus after longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December.

Damascus, Syria -- Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose war-devastated country seeks Gulf financial support, traveled to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for his first visit since Bashar al-Assad's overthrow, state media said. Nearly a week after rebels toppled Assad in December, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said his...

Ankara, Turkey -Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel on Friday of sowing divisions in Syria in a bid to "dynamite" the "revolution" that toppled dictator Bashar al-Assad. Turkey is a key backer of Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led the rebel coalition...

Syria's government said late Friday it was "closely following" the findings of a new Amnesty International report urging an investigation into sectarian massacres last month.

Syria slammed Israeli attacks as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty after deadly bombardment Tuesday in the country's south, where Israel's military said it responded to incoming fire.

The Syrian presidency announced on Monday an agreement with the head of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate the institutions of the autonomous Kurdish administration in the northeast into the national government.

Geneva, Switzerland -- More than one million people have returned to their homes in Syria after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, including 280,000 refugees who came back from abroad, the UN said on Tuesday. Assad was toppled in December in a rebel offensive, putting an end to his family's decades-long grip...

The Trump administration faces a Middle East shaped by shifting alliances, unresolved conflicts, and evolving regional priorities, demanding a measured strategy to balance stability, diplomacy, and U.S. interests.

Julani’s appeal comes as Syria signals a shift in its diplomatic tone. Maher Marwan, Damascus’ new governor, told NPR that Syria seeks peace and harbors no hostility toward Israel or any other nation. “We have no plans to interfere with anything that could undermine Israel’s safety. Our people yearn for...

Last week, in an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television, Sharaa said Saudi Arabia "will certainly have a large role in Syria's future", pointing to "a big investment opportunity for all neighbouring countries".

Damascus, Syria -- Syrian authorities have appointed Maysa Sabreen as interim central bank governor, a bank official told AFP on Tuesday, the first time a woman heads the financial establishment. Sabreen, until recently the bank's first deputy governor, took her new position on Tuesday, said a department manager at the Central...

Mount Qasyun, once closed due to war, reopens as a vibrant community space where Damascus residents gather to reclaim joy, freedom, and a sense of normalcy after years of hardship.

17 people were killed Wednesday in clashes in Tartus province after security forces sought to arrest an officer under deposed leader Bashar al-Assad. "14 members of the General Security force" of Syria's new authorities were killed,

Syria's new leaders announced Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with the country's rebel groups on their dissolution and integration under the defense ministry. Absent from the meeting were representatives of the US-backed, Kurdish-led forces that control swathes of Syria's northeast.

Ahmed al-Sharaa announced all weapons, including those held by Kurdish-led forces, will come under state control, emphasizing unity and coexistence after toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime in a sweeping offensive.

Cairo, Egypt -- The leaders of Turkey and Iran were in Egypt on Thursday for a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries, meeting for the first time since the ouster of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad. Turkey historically backed the opposition to Assad, while Iran supported his rule. The gathering of the D-8...

Turkey's Foreign Minister warned Syria's new government to address Kurdish militancy, signaling potential intervention if unresolved with tensions rising with pro-Turkey fighters clashing against Kurdish-led forces despite a US-brokered truce.

United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, referring to fighting between the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-backed groups who have captured several Kurdish towns in recent weeks and millions in refugees returning, said that conflict in Syria could re-emerge