Damascus
Photo: © Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
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- 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.
- Oct 1
Orthodox Church honors Saint Ananias and Romanos the Melodist on 1 October
The Orthodox Church marks the feast day of Saint Ananias and Saint Romanos the Melodist on 1 October, alongside commemorations of Panagia Gorgoepikoos and key dates in world history.
- Sep 30
Syria pipeline blast takes three power stations offline near Damascus
A gas pipeline explosion in Eastern Ghouta cut fuel supplies to three power stations on Wednesday evening, worsening electricity rationing across Syria.
- Sep 30
Gunmen kill seven and injure four in bus ambush in Syria's Homs province
Armed assailants opened fire on a bus carrying private company workers and an electricity official in Homs province on Wednesday, leaving seven dead and four injured as gunmen fled the scene.
- 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 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 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 24
Syrian foreign minister and Mossad chief meet in Jordan to discuss US-led deconfliction cell
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Mossad chief Roman Gofman met in Jordan on 23 August to discuss setting up a US-supervised operations room to prevent military escalation.
- Aug 23
Syria condemns Israeli drone strike near Golan Heights after one person is injured
Syrian officials reported one person injured in a Saturday drone strike near the Golan Heights, marking the second Israeli attack on Syrian territory in one week.
- Aug 23
Israel rejects US envoy Tom Barrack's Golan criticism following drone strike in Beit Jinn
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected statements by US Syria envoy Tom Barrack disputing Israeli control of the Golan Heights, following an Israeli drone strike in southern Syria that injured one person.
- Aug 23
Israel Katz rejects US envoy criticism over military strikes in Syria
Defense Minister Israel Katz dismissed remarks by US envoy Tom Barrack over strikes on a Syrian air base, stating Washington was informed beforehand to deter Turkish troop deployments.
- 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.
