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  • Ahmed al-Sharaa

Syrian security stands guard as a convoy of US military equipment is transported along the Damascus–Amman highway as the US withdraws from its bases in Syria on 16 April, 2026. BAKR ALKASEM / AFP

The US ends its military presence in Syria: why now and what next?

Washington is reordering its priorities as part of a broader strategic shift across the Middle East, and eyes a possible alliance with Damascus as a next step

Subhi Franjieh 22 April 2026
Released detainees prepare to leave the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp, which holds relatives of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh governorate on 3 September 2023. AFO

The transfer of the IS file to Damascus is a test

The fight against IS will determine whether post-war Syria can confront the consequences of mass violence without recreating the conditions that allowed it to endure

Haid Haid 02 February 2026
People stand outside the Justice Palace after first trial of more than a dozen suspects linked to massacres that left hundreds dead in Syria's Alawite coastal heartland earlier this year, in Aleppo on 18 November 2025. BAKR ALKASEM / AFP

Fresh UK sanctions on Syria send a message

London is making it clear that it expects more than just symbolic gestures from Damascus when it comes to holding security forces accountable for atrocities

Haid Haid 27 December 2025
Lina Jaradat

Trump, Sharaa, and the future of Syria

There was visible warmth when the US and Syrian presidents met in the Oval Office last month, with some even speculating a Trump visit to Damascus. But there is much to do before that happens.

Robert Ford 07 December 2025
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani meets with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing on 17 November, 2025. SANA

China's approach to 'the new Syria' is one of cautious optimism

Beijing's concerns over Uyghur militants in the Syrian military and ongoing political instability continue to cast a shadow over the relationship

Yang Xiaotong 06 December 2025
A man holds up a sign that reads in Arabic, "Release of the detained", as people take part in a protest in the coastal city of Latakia in Syria's Alawite heartland on 25 November 2025. HAIDAR MUSTAFA / AFP

Syria's coastal protests come with a critical message

What they reveal is far more consequential than their modest turnout suggests

Haid Haid 02 December 2025
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) meets with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, on the sidelines of their official visit to Washington DC on 11 November 2025. SANA / AFP

Why Hakan Fidan attended the Trump-Sharaa meeting

The US wants the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces to be integrated into the Syrian army, but needs Türkiye to be on board

Omer Onhon 15 November 2025
This handout photograph released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on 10 November 2025, shows US President Donald Trump (L) shaking hands with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House in Washington DC. SANA / AFP

Syria-US rapprochement sees cooperation surge

Since Trump began lifting sanctions in May, no time has been wasted. US investment delegations have been flocking to Damascus, and security cooperation has already started.

Charles Lister 13 November 2025
Axel Rangel Garcia

Barbara Leaf on being the first US official to meet Ahmed Sharaa

On Monday, the Syrian president shook hands with Trump at the White House. Speaking to Al Majalla, a former State Department official explains why this is a moment she could have never imagined.

Ibrahim Hamidi 11 November 2025
Axel Rangel Garcia

As Sharaa steps into the White House, Syria steps into the US orbit

In what could be a historic turning point in US-Syria relations, the new government in Damascus will likely join the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS)

Subhi Franjieh 09 November 2025
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People hold Cuban flags and a flag supporting US President Donald Trump while participating in the "Cuba Libre" demonstration in the city of Hialeah, Florida, on 24 March 2026. GIORGIO VIERA / AFP
Politics

Is the US on the verge of military intervention in Cuba?

24 May 2026

Seizing Castro could prove more costly and less effective than the capture of Maduro

William M. LeoGrande and Peter Kornbluh
Sara Padovan
Science & Technology

How fibre-optic drones are reshaping warfare

21 May 2026

Small, low-cost, and difficult to jam, they give traditional defence systems little time to respond

Marco Mossad
Protesters march during the "Rise Up for Gaza" international day of action at Washington Square Park, New York City, on 4 October 2025. Kena Betancur / AFP
Politics

US public opinion finally sours on Israel: what next?

22 May 2026

As support for Israel weakens across the US political spectrum, once-taboo questions about military aid, lobbying influence, and US backing are moving into the mainstream

Tarek Rashed
Lina Jaradat
Business & Economy

Europe eyes Algeria's shale gas amid supply crisis

22 May 2026

Algeria is one of Africa's largest producers of hydrocarbons, and its proximity to customers in Europe makes it of growing interest as importers fret over a prolonged supply crisis from countries

Rabia Abdul Salam
Lina Jaradat
Culture & Social Affairs

The extravagant Hajj caravans of the sultans’ wives

22 May 2026

Through extravagant processions led by palace women, the Mamluk state projected a message of power and prestige at home and abroad, turning the Hajj obligation into a soft-power tool

Yasmin Abdallah

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OPINIONS

Cautious optimism prevails over possible US-Iran deal

Con Coughlin
Con Coughlin

From Claude to Colossus: why Anthropic needed Elon Musk

Marco Mossad
Marco Mossad

Türkiye’s proposed maritime bill risks reigniting old rivalries

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Mustapha Rajwan: the greatest service to a text is to interpret it

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