The Latest Breaking News from Damascus

Damascus on Friday rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyeb Erdogan’s call for establishing a safe zone in northern Syria. These "cheap statements" reveal the "aggressive manipulations plotted by this regime against Syria, and the unity of its territory and people," the Syrian Ministry said. Damascus’ response came days after Erdogan called…

An Israeli "aggression" launched from the Golan Heights and targeting southern parts of the Syrian capital Damascus killed three people and caused some material damage, the Syrian ministry of defence said on Friday.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad signed an Iranian credit line during a surprise visit to Tehran on Sunday, Syrian local media reported. The official Syrian News Agency (SANA) said that Assad had signed a “new phase” of the credit line, which included supplying Syria with energy and other basic materials to…

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited his closest regional ally Iran on Sunday for talks with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during which both leaders called for stronger ties between Tehran and Damascus, Iranian state media reported.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview that the European Union holds onto its three “red lines” which involve not contributing to Syria’s reconstruction, not removing sanctions and not re-establishing full diplomatic ties with Damascus “until a genuine and comprehensive political transition is firmly under…

Dozens of prisoners who originate from Syria’s southern Daraa governorate have been released, mostly from the country’s largest and most notorious prison, Sednaya. Their release came upon the implementation of an amnesty decree issued by President Bashar al-Assad. According to Daraa-based activists, some of those released were detained prior to…

Families of prisoners held for years in Syrian jails are closely watching the implementation of the presidential decree giving a general amnesty to people convicted on terrorism charges. The amnesty excludes acts that have led to killings. Families from the Syrian opposition are weary that the exclusion could mean that…

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was the victim of a failed assassination attempt on Monday, claimed Iranian sources. The failed attack allegedly took place as he arrived at the al-Hassan mosque in Damascus to perform Eid al-Fitr prayers. Iran's Mehr and Isna state agencies based their claims on a news alert…

The relationship started on an online dating site. Katsumi Iwasaki was enthralled by a person who claimed to be a US soldier stationed in Damascus, Syria. They quickly fell to emailing “sweet things,” Iwasaki said.