Syria

Visa, Mastercard complete first international card payments in Syria

Visa and Mastercard each completed landmark first live international payment transactions in Syria on Wednesday, marking the country's most concrete step yet toward full reintegration into the global financial system — just days after the United States formally removed Syria…

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Syria set to leave U.S. terrorism sponsor list after 47 years

The United States is set to formally remove Syria from its State Sponsors of Terrorism list after nearly 47 years, following the expiration on Saturday of a mandatory 45-day congressional review period without action to block the move. The final…

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US envoy warns Israel-Turkey nearly reached direct military confrontation over Syria strike

Israeli warplanes struck the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, an operation that US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack warned "carried a real risk of rapidly escalating to a direct military confrontation between Israel and Turkey, as…

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Syrian court sentences Assad to death in absentia

A Syrian criminal court on Tuesday sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad, his younger brother Maher, and their cousin Atef Najib to death, marking the first convictions against the former ruling family since its overthrow nearly two years ago.

Netanyahu vows to reject US demand for troop withdrawals

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that he will defy US President Donald Trump's demand to withdraw Israeli forces from southern Syria, southern Lebanon, and Gaza, setting the stage for a tense White House meeting on…

Iraq, Syria sign US-backed deal to revive oil pipeline bypassing Hormuz

Iraq and Syria signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington on Friday to rehabilitate the long-defunct Kirkuk-Baniyas crude oil pipeline, a US-brokered agreement aimed at creating an export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.

Macron arrives in Damascus in historic post-Assad visit

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday, becoming the first leader of an EU member state to visit Syria since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The visit marks a milestone in Syria's reintegration into the…

Thieves steal six Roman statues from Damascus museum

Thieves broke into Syria's National Museum of Damascus on Sunday night and stole six ancient Roman-era marble statues, prompting authorities to temporarily close the facility and launch an investigation, officials confirmed Tuesday.