- 2d ago
Germany revokes refugee status for Syrians who returned or came to police attention
The migration office is withdrawing refugee status from Syrians who came to police attention or left and returned to Germany. It cites the end of Syria's civil war after Assad's fall in December 2024.
- Oct 1
US removes Syria from arms export ban to review sales case by case
The United States has removed Syria from its ITAR arms export blacklist, allowing future defense sales to Damascus on a case-by-case basis as bilateral diplomatic relations continue to normalize.
- Sep 18
US federal court sentences former Syrian prison head Samir Ousman Alsheikh to 60 years
A federal judge in Los Angeles sentenced 74-year-old Samir Ousman Alsheikh to 60 years in prison for torturing prisoners at Damascus Central Prison and committing immigration fraud.
- Sep 10
Netanyahu visits troops on Syrian slope of Mount Hermon as Damascus condemns sovereignty breach
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured Israeli troop positions on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon on Wednesday, asserting that Iran's government is near collapse while Syria's foreign ministry denounced the visit as an illegal violation of sovereignty.
- Sep 4
UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed pardons poet Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi after 10-year sentence
Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has pardoned Egyptian-Turkish poet Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi, days after an Abu Dhabi court sentenced him to 10 years in prison for criticizing regional governments.
- Sep 4
Syria begins destroying Assad-era chemical weapons as inspectors verify 42 bombs
Syrian authorities have begun dismantling chemical weapons stockpiles inherited from the Assad administration, with OPCW inspectors confirming the destruction of 42 aerial bombs amid preparations for trials against 18 suspects.
- Aug 26
United States removes Syria from state sponsor of terrorism list after 47 years
Washington has completed the delisting of Syria as a sponsor of terrorism following a 45-day congressional review, lifting financial curbs imposed on Damascus since 1979 to aid economic reconstruction.
- Aug 24
Damascus court sentences former Syrian grand mufti Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun to life in prison
A Damascus court has sentenced former Syrian grand mufti Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun to life in prison for inciting sectarian violence and participating in murders under the Assad regime.
- Aug 22
Syria and Israel hold direct US-mediated talks in Jordan to ease military tensions
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Mossad chief Roman Gofman met in Amman on 23 August 2026 for US-brokered talks to create a joint operations center and halt military escalation.
- Aug 21
Syria appoints former Kurdish SDF commander Mazloum Abdi as presidential adviser
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed former Syrian Democratic Forces chief Mazloum Abdi as a presidential adviser, days after the Kurdish-led group completed its military dissolution and integration into state forces.
- Aug 18
IAEA inspectors examine tons of undeclared nuclear material discovered in Syria
UN nuclear inspectors have gained access to tons of nuclear material at an undeclared facility in Syria following formal notification by the interim government in Damascus.
- Aug 18
Israel strikes Syrian airbase as Turkey and Damascus deny troop deployment plans
Israel launched airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in Syria, claiming Turkey planned a military deployment, while Ankara and Damascus rejected the allegations.
- Aug 18
Syrian court sentences Assad cousin Wassim al-Assad to death for war crimes
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced Wassim al-Assad to death for murder, torture, and militia attacks in Eastern Ghouta, one week after handing down in absentia death sentences to Bashar and Maher al-Assad.
- Aug 16
Germany revokes Syrian protection status in 23% of cases as deportations stall
Germany's migration office revoked Syrian protection status in 23.2% of reviewed cases in the first half of 2026, up from 3.7% in 2025, after the fall of Bashar al-Assad prompted a reassessment of whether refugees can safely return.
- Aug 11
Damascus court sentences ousted Assad to death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity
A Damascus criminal court sentenced ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia on 11 August 2026, convicting him of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country's nearly 14-year civil war. Six former officials, including his brother Maher, received the same sentence.
- Aug 9
Syria and Russia agree to convert Hmeimim and Tartus bases into joint training centers
Syria announced a memorandum of understanding with Moscow converting the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base into joint training centers, with Damascus retaking civilian facilities after 18 months of negotiations.
- Jul 27
UN chief calls for immediate lifting of all Syria sanctions after Damascus visit
Speaking in Damascus at the end of a two-day visit, António Guterres said all restrictions imposed under Bashar al-Assad must be removed to allow reconstruction.
- Jul 25
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres begins three-day Syria visit, first by a UN chief in 17 years
António Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for a three-day trip aimed at supporting the country's political transition, more than a year after Islamist-led forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad.
- Jul 9
Syria arrests cell behind Damascus bombings that killed one during Macron visit
Syrian authorities have detained the group responsible for two explosions near the Four Seasons hotel, where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying, in the first EU leader visit since Assad's fall.
- Jul 8
Trump pledges to remove Syria from US terrorism list, opening path for reconstruction
President Trump announced the US will remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism after meeting Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa at the NATO summit in Ankara. The move, subject to a 45-day congressional review, aims to unlock foreign investment and reconstruction.