The United States formally removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, a decision implemented by the Trump administration nearly 47 years after Syria was added in 1979. The move opens new prospects for international investment and trade for Syria, which has faced long-standing US sanctions and financial restrictions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Syria’s new government had taken positive steps to distance itself from international terrorism, and that these measures were considered in removing the designation. President Donald Trump had already moved in July to lift broad economic sanctions on Syria.

The United States also withdrew its terrorist designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former rebel group once linked to al-Qaeda and led by current Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa welcomed the decision as historic, while Damascus hopes it will accelerate reconstruction and economic recovery. Iran, North Korea and Cuba remain on the US list.

A Syrian court has sentenced Ahmed Badr al-Din Hassoun, a senior religious official close to ousted former president Bashar al-Assad, to life imprisonment for crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war. Hassoun served as Syria’s grand mufti from 2005 to 2021. He was arrested at Damascus airport in March last year, and judicial proceedings against him began in June this year.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian said Hassoun and the state religious institution under his authority were used to provide religious legitimacy for Assad government military operations. The court found allegations proven that he incited the military to displace civilians from eastern Aleppo, ordered the destruction of homes of Idlib residents, and was linked to deadly barrel-bomb attacks on civilians.

The court imposed 20 years in prison for incitement to murder and an additional 10 years for prolonging violence, alongside compensation orders. Hassoun is barred from general or special pardons because of the gravity of the crimes. His movable and immovable assets were ordered confiscated for the state treasury.

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said Israel’s bombing of Syria’s Abu al-Duhur air base amounted to an “unnecessary escalation” that could complicate rising tensions between Israel and Turkey. Israeli warplanes struck the base on Monday night; it lies about 45 miles from the Turkish border and roughly 180 miles north of Israel. Israel initially did not claim responsibility but later acknowledged the attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Turkey was seeking to establish a military presence at the air base south of its current position, despite prior warnings. He said the strike was intended to clarify Israel’s position. The dispute prompted sharp exchanges, with Netanyahu calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an antisemitic dictator, while Erdogan’s office described the remarks as a cheap political tactic ahead of Netanyahu’s upcoming election.

Barrack said the United States had no evidence that Syria or Turkey was taking hostile or offensive action against Israel before the strike. He said Syria had told Mossad there were no Turkish troops, military convoys or weapons at the site, while talks and a US coordination framework were under way. Barrack said he hoped all parties would return to dialogue.

Tensions have risen between Tel Aviv and Ankara over Israeli airstrikes in Syria, but Israel does not want to turn Turkey into an enemy, according to the report. An Israeli defence official said the two countries are exchanging messages through secret contacts in an effort to avoid conflict. The report was published by Amar Desh Online on August 23, 2026.

The official told Kan News that Israel has to act when messages do not produce results. Israel has warned that it would counter Turkey’s military presence in Syria if it becomes a threat to Israeli security. It is particularly prioritising efforts to prevent the deployment of Turkish air-defence systems, advanced missiles and drones in Syria.

As part of that approach, Israel struck infrastructure and the runway at the Abu al-Duhur military base in northern Syria. Tel Aviv said the strike was carried out before Turkish military equipment arrived and was intended to send Damascus a clear message. Israel said it does not object to strengthening Syria’s military capabilities, but will not allow a new security threat near its border. Turkey denied that Turkish military representatives or troops were at the base during the attack.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said discussions over a security agreement with Israel are currently suspended, with no date set for their resumption. Speaking to Reuters on August 23, 2026, he said Syria does not trust Israel at this time. He said communication between the two countries stopped after Israel struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase earlier in the week.

Al-Shaibani said Damascus hopes talks with Israel will resume soon. He said the United States has continued pressuring Israel to return to the negotiating table. According to the minister, Washington has been applying sustained pressure on Israel to bring it back into discussions.

The Syrian foreign minister also criticized Israel’s military approach to ensuring its security. He said Israel had tried to maintain its security through the use of force but had not succeeded. In contrast, he said Syria has extended its hand for understanding, peace and diplomacy.

Kuwait has condemned an Israeli drone strike on a civilian vehicle in a village southwest of Syria’s capital, Damascus, according to a Foreign Ministry statement posted on social media. Several civilians were injured in the attack. The report was published on August 23, 2026.

Kuwait called on the international community and the UN Security Council to fulfil their responsibilities in stopping what it described as repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory. Its Foreign Ministry said recurring aggression by Israeli occupying forces in Syria must be halted.

Israel defended the strike, saying it targeted “terrorists” and was carried out in response to an “immediate threat” to its forces. The incident was Israel’s second reported strike in Syria within a week. Earlier, Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur air base in Idlib province on Tuesday, saying Turkish troops were being deployed there and that the allegation was the basis for the attack.

The United States is moving to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism nearly 50 years after its designation. The step could ease broad US sanctions on Syria and further open a path for the country’s reintegration into the global economy. The article was published on August 23, 2026.

Following a decision by President Donald Trump, the State Department notified Congress on July 8. A legally required 45-day review period ends Saturday. If Congress does not block the move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will announce the final decision.

Syria was first added to the list in 1979 and later faced several rounds of sanctions, which became more extensive after the 2011 uprising and subsequent civil war. Removal from the list would not end all US sanctions. Targeted sanctions would remain against individuals and entities accused of human rights violations, corruption, and terrorism linked to the former Bashar al-Assad government.

Turkey accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of creating a new “trap” to undermine peace and stability in the Middle East after Israel struck the Abu al-Zuhur air base in Syria’s Idlib last week. In a Thursday statement, Turkey’s presidential office said Ankara had enough experience not to fall into a trap set by someone like Netanyahu.

Israel said it carried out the attack because Turkey was attempting to deploy forces at the base. Both Turkey and the United States rejected that claim. The strike damaged the air base runway, and Israel later said a Turkish military delegation had visited the facility hours before the attack. Turkey also denied that assertion.

A Syrian monitoring group said the Turkish delegation visited the base only to assess its reconstruction. Netanyahu nevertheless said Turkish troops had gone to the facility and described their presence as a threat to Israeli security. Speaking to Israeli Army Radio, he said Israel would not accept the Turkish military moving toward the north because it posed a threat.

Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur air base in Syria’s Idlib province on Tuesday, placing the attack about 70 kilometres from the Turkish border, according to the report published on August 19, 2026. US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack warned that the incident could further raise tensions with Turkey. The strike came after a Turkish military delegation visited the base to inspect runway renovation work.

Barrack said Turkey had not been warned before the attack and could have mistakenly viewed it as an attack on itself, potentially sending aircraft in response. He expressed relief that there were no reported casualties and that the situation did not escalate into a larger conflict. Israel indicated the strike was linked to concerns over the possibility of Turkish troop deployment at Syrian air bases.

Barrack called for a coordination, or deconfliction, mechanism among Israel, Syria and Turkey to prevent future misunderstandings. He said the United States is working toward such an arrangement, including a permanent 24-hour communications centre staffed by officials fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, English and Turkish. He also said discussions could address Israeli concerns over Turkish military deployments and radar systems in Syria.

Israel carried out an airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur air base in northwestern Syria on August 19, 2026, according to the report. The attack damaged the base’s runway and several facilities, while no casualties were reported. Syria and Turkey strongly condemned the strike.

US special envoy Tom Barrack described the attack as an unnecessary escalation and voiced concern that such actions could harm regional stability. The United States is seeking to establish a coordination mechanism involving Turkey, Israel and Syria to prevent misunderstandings and unintended clashes.

Israel said Syria was moving toward violating an existing security understanding by allowing Turkish troops to be deployed at the air base. Turkey did not confirm that allegation. Syria, meanwhile, called the attack a violation of its sovereignty.

The United Nations has called for an end to Israeli airstrikes in Syria after Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in the eastern part of Idlib province. The report, published on August 19, 2026, said the UN described the attack as a violation of Syria’s territorial integrity and airspace.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, told a news conference on Tuesday that the airstrikes should stop and that the United Nations opposed them. His remarks followed Syria’s condemnation of the attack in letters sent to the UN secretary-general and the president of the Security Council.

The source did not provide details on casualties, damage, the timing of the strike, or Israel’s response. It also did not specify any action planned by the Security Council or other UN bodies following Syria’s letters and the spokesperson’s statement.

Syria’s Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of ousted president Bashar al-Assad, to death on Tuesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian said the court found him guilty of premeditated murder, torture and multiple killings. The court classified the offences as crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Wassim al-Assad was present in the defendants’ dock when the verdict was announced. The report described the ruling as the first trial and sentencing of an Assad family member while present on Syrian soil. Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher had previously received death sentences in absentia because they were in exile in Russia. Al Jazeera reporter Obaida Hitto called the verdict highly significant, while political science teacher Jamal Mansour described it as a day of pride for Syrians.

Wassim was arrested after returning to Syria from Lebanon in June 2025. He faced allegations of forming and leading pro-government armed groups, kidnappings and killings, and involvement in military operations in civilian areas of Eastern Ghouta. The court acquitted him of drug-trafficking allegations, citing insufficient evidence of direct involvement, and ordered the confiscation of his assets. The cases are part of Syria’s broader transitional justice process.

Israeli army gunfire targeting civilian homes in parts of Mariah, a rural village in Syria’s southern Daraa province, forced some residents to leave their homes, Syrian state media reported. The report, published on August 15, 2026, said the shooting came from an area under Israeli control in southern Syria. No immediate casualties were reported following the incident.

Syrian state television channel Al-Ikhbariya said civilian houses in several parts of the village were targeted. The source did not provide details on the timing of the shooting, the number of homes affected, or how many people left the village. It said residents moved elsewhere because of the sound of gunfire and the attack.

The report said Israeli forces have carried out incursions and attacks in southern Syria for several months, including operations, searches and arrests. It stated that Israeli activity increased after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. According to the report, Israel then declared the 1974 disengagement agreement void and took control of Syria’s buffer zone, with operations and attacks continuing in southern Syria afterward.

A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and former Daraa political security chief Atef Najib to death. The ruling, issued Tuesday, found Bashar al-Assad guilty of premeditated killings involving multiple people, including children, as well as torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity.

Najib faces accusations of murder, torture, arbitrary detention, participation in suppressing peaceful protests through the use of gunfire, and systematic killings and torture inside detention centres. The court said investigations and witness testimony established that Najib was involved in interrogating detainees and in a security operation against civilians after protests began in Daraa in 2011.

Najib was tried in his presence, while Bashar and Maher al-Assad were tried in absentia. The Fourth Criminal Court also ordered an international arrest operation against Bashar and Maher al-Assad. In 2024, the Assad government fell after an 11-day campaign by fighters led by current Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa, after which Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow.

Syria has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Russia to convert two Russian military bases in the country into joint training and rehabilitation centers. Syrian state news agency SANA reported the development on Sunday, citing the Foreign Ministry. The two sides agreed that the conversion would take place within the next three months.

Under the new arrangement, Russian military bases and facilities at Hmeimim Airport and the port of Tartus will be transformed into what SANA described as joint training and rehabilitation centers. The report said the measures would protect the mutual interests of both Syria and Russia.

No details were provided about how the two sites would be managed in the future. The announcement also did not specify the nature of Russia’s military presence at the facilities after the planned conversion. No further terms of the memorandum or operational details about the proposed centers were disclosed in the report.