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  • Politics
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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

Xiaotong Yang 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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Ewan White
Politics

Did Trump's war on Iran make nuclear proliferation more likely?

11 May 2026

Many US allies across the world are now questioning America's ability and will to protect them, making the prospect of a nuclear deterrent more appealing

Christopher Phillips
A container ship is seen at berth at the container terminal of the port in Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province, on 2 April 2026. AFP
Business & Economy

The US-Iran war has forced a global trade rethink

06 May 2026

There is now a growing recognition that over-reliance on a single corridor or supplier is no longer feasible. While this may worry some, it is a chance for others.

Abdulfattah Khattab
Al Majalla
Politics

Farage emerges as viable PM contender amid Labour losses

11 May 2026

Labour's disastrous showing in the local elections and gains made by the Reform party have sparked calls for Starmer to step down, but he remains defiant

Con Coughlin
Festival General Delegate Thierry Fremaux speaks in front of the Cannes Festival official poster from the movie "Thelma & Louise" during a press conference in Cannes, France, on 11 May 2026. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Culture & Social Affairs

Cinema's changing face on display at Cannes

11 May 2026

This year, the renowned film festival appears to be addressing a world where films are made and consumed differently, while maintaining its legacy as the world's foremost arena for art cinema

Firas Al-Madi
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the day of the EU Leaders and Regional Partners Summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, on 24 April 2026.
 Reuters
Politics

Are Lebanon-Israel talks a mistake? The view from Cairo

11 May 2026

Egyptian officials believe US-Israeli pressure to rapidly disarm Hezbollah could backfire and plunge Lebanon into a new civil war

Amr Emam

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OPINIONS

Continuity trumps reform in Syria's cabinet reshuffle

Haid Haid
Haid Haid

China trade proves resilient in the face of US tariffs

Al Majalla - London
Al Majalla - London

Did Trump's war on Iran make nuclear proliferation more likely?

Christopher Phillips
Christopher Phillips

Are Lebanon-Israel talks a mistake? The view from Cairo

Amr Emam
Amr Emam
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