Arab World News

Syrian Authorities Say Killed Assad-Era Officer After Clash

Arab World A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)

Syrian Authorities Say Killed Assad-Era Officer After Clash

Syrian security forces said on Sunday that they killed an army commander who served under ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad, after he opened fire on them as they…

Arab World The sun sets behind apartment buildings in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. (AP)

Iraq Sentences US-Sanctioned Oil Official to Prison

Iraq sentenced a US-sanctioned oil official to seven years in prison after he was arrested as part of a government-led anti-corruption campaign, the country's…

Arab World  Israeli settlers look out through a metal fence, as an Israeli flag flutters nearby, on the day of their weekly tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 29, 2026. (Reuters)

US News Agency Says Crew Attacked by Israeli Settlers in West Bank

Israeli settlers attacked an NBC crew in the central West Bank Saturday, as they were interviewing a Palestinian woman who said she’d been driven out of her…

Arab World People wave Libyan flags during a demonstration in Benghazi February 7, 2014. (Reuters)

Libya Rivals Agree Roadmap for Elections Within 24 Months at UN-Led Talks

Representatives of ‌Libya's rival political parties on Sunday signed an agreement on holding long-delayed national elections within two years to resolve…

Arab World Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attends an event at which new weapons are distributed to Israel's police volunteer security teams in Ashkelon, Israel, October 27, 2023. (Reuters)

Far-Right Israeli Minister Boasts of Worse Prison Conditions for Palestinians

Israel's far-right national security minister on Sunday boasted of worsening conditions for Palestinian prisoners as he visited female inmates. Two months…


Arab World Lebanese Army soldiers monitor the movements of Israeli forces stationed in a neighboring village, in Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, Nabatieh Governorate, southern Lebanon, 31 July 2026, following a US-brokered security agreement between Lebanon and Israel.   EPA/STRINGER

Vatican Says 'Serious Concerns' over Israel-Lebanon Deal Implementation

The Vatican expressed "serious concerns" Thursday about problems implementing a US-brokered deal between Israel and Lebanon, following a meeting between Pope…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World 18 August 2026, Syria, Damascus: Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani speaks during a press conference with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Raffaele Grossi after their meeting. Photo: Mohammed Al-Rifai/dpa

Syria Says No Turkish Build-up Planned

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani has said that he made clear to Israel his government wasn't working with Türkiye to amass a military presence at a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus)
Arab World Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz (dpa)

Katz: Erdogan 'Dragging Türkiye Into Dangerous Adventures in Syria'

The Israeli defense minister on Thursday accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of dragging Türkiye into "dangerous adventures in Syria,” after Israel tacitly…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World 15 August 2026, Lebanon, Nabatieh District: People are searching the rubble following an Israeli airstrike on a house in a tourist area of Ansar, southern Lebanon, before dawn, completely destroying the building and causing extensive damage to surrounding properties. Photo: Abdul Kader Al Bay/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Lebanon: Israeli Airstrikes, Artillery Fire Hit Ali al-Taher, Explosions Reported in South

Israeli warplanes carried out a series of overnight airstrikes and artillery shelling on Ali al-Taher hill and the outskirts of al-Dabsha, while explosions…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World An Israeli military vehicle patrols near to the settlers in front of the Palestinian houses in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, on August 13, 2026. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)

UK Summons Israeli Envoy over West Bank Settlement Project

Britain said on Wednesday it had summoned Israel's charge d'affaires and demanded a halt to a major West Bank settlement project after Israeli authorities…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Salem Muhanna, who manages the Al Qarara Seed Bank with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), prepares to stack a container with seeds at the bank, in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip on August 11, 2026. (Photo by Bashar Taleb / AFP)

'Ray of Hope': Gaza Seed Bank Rebuilds after Wartime Destruction

From a small makeshift tent in the central Gaza Strip, a dedicated team works to carefully store and document some of the war-shattered territory's most…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Out-of-service Syrian Air Force aircraft at the Abu al-Duhur military air base, east of Idlib, after Syrian opposition fighters seized the area on Dec. 7, 2024 (EPA) 

Türkiye Rejects Israeli Claims Used to Justify Strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Air Base

Türkiye has rejected Israeli claims about its military posture in Syria and Israel’s justification for strikes on the Abu al-Duhur military air base in Idlib,…

Saeed Abdulrazek
Arab World Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and presidential media adviser Ahmad Muwafaq Zaidan (SANA) 

Syrian Foreign Minister Reviews 606 Days of ‘New Syria’ Diplomacy

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani outlined the record of 606 days of Syria’s new diplomacy, describing a shift from “hard power to soft power” and…

Souad Jarous (Damascus)
Arab World Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam (Reuters)

Khaddam Recounts Final Damascus Meeting… Bashar to Hariri: ‘Whoever Defies Me, I Will Break His Bones’

Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam reveals new details in his memoirs about a meeting between former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Arab World Former Syrian Major General Adel Issa. Photo: Syria’s interior ministry

Lebanon Hands Assad-era General to Syria in 1st Such Transfer Since Assad’s Fall

Lebanese authorities handed a former senior Syrian army officer to Damascus on Wednesday to face charges including murder and torture, Syria’s interior…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus)
Arab World UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih meets Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia's Ura camp. AFP

Sudan: More Than 200,000 People Displaced Since Eruption of Blue Nile Fighting

A Sudanese government official has confirmed that more than 200,000 people have been displaced from the cities of Kurmuk and Qeisan, as well as other areas in…

Wajdan Talha (Khartoum)
Arab World Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri receives a delegation from the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL) (Parliament Speaker’s Office)

Berri Puts War’s End in Washington’s Hands, Links Army Deployment to Israeli Withdrawal

Lebanese efforts are continuing on several fronts to advance negotiations and implement the “Framework Agreement,” as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri tied the…

Caroline Akoum
Arab World This handout photograph taken and released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Media Office on August 19, 2026 shows Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (L) and Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during their meeting in Baghdad. (Photo by Iraq's Prime Minister Media Office / AFP)

Ghalibaf Discusses Iranian Plan in Baghdad to ‘Hide’ Faction Weapons

Iran is pushing proposals to avert a confrontation between Iraq’s government and Tehran-aligned armed factions over their weapons, with Parliament Speaker…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Eyal Zamir and Israeli troops during a visit to an Israeli-occupied security zone in southern Syria. (Israeli army)

Israel Army Chief Vows in Syria to Deter Threats to Border

Israel's army chief said Wednesday during a visit to an Israeli-occupied security zone in southern Syria that the military would not allow threats to …

Arab World 10 November 2022, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks during a memorial ceremony for late Rabbi Meir Kahane. (dpa)

Germany, France Condemn Far-Right Israeli Minister’s ‘Inhumane’ Gaza Remarks

Germany and France on Wednesday condemned remarks by Israel's far-right national security minister, who declared that Israel should kill "30 or 40" people…

Arab World 13 August 2026, Lebanon, Zawatar al-Gahrbiyeh: Lebanese army soldiers secure the premises of "Our Lady of the Annunciation" Monastery in Zawatar al-Gahrbiyeh. (dpa)

Lebanon Says Received French Invitation to Meeting on Army Support

Lebanon said Wednesday it had received an invitation from France for a meeting to prepare for an international conference on support for the Lebanese army, an…

Arab World Palestinians inspect the damage at a police station that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP)

Gaza Health Officials Say Israeli Strike on Police Station Kills 9

Gaza health officials said an Israeli strike on the municipal police headquarters in Gaza City killed nine people on Wednesday, with the Israeli military…

Arab World Canada's Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP)

Canadian Official Condemns Israel’s ‘Unlawful Invasion’, Announces New Aid to Lebanon

A Canadian government official condemned Israel’s “unlawful invasion” of Lebanon, saying Beirut should govern its own space and have sovereignty over its lands…

Arab World Hind Rajab. (Family handout/AFP/Getty Images)

Israel Opens Criminal Probes Over Killings of Hind Rajab and Gaza Rescue Workers, Military Says

Israel's military will open internal investigations over its troops' killings in Gaza of Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in January 2024 and 15 emergency and aid…

Arab World A man walks past heavily-damaged and destroyed buildings in the Jobar suburb northeast of Damascus on August 12, 2026. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP)

Syria Arrests Assad-era Officer who Fled Austria after Conviction

Syrian security forces have arrested a former Assad-era security officer who fled Austria after being sentenced to eight years in prison for abusing detainees…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus)
Arab World Destruction is pictured in the village of Arnoun as seen from nearby Marjeyoun in southern Lebanon on August 11, 2026. (AFP)

Israel Says It Recovered Remains of Soldier Killed in Lebanon in 1982

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had repatriated the remains of Sgt First Class Yehuda Katz, a soldier killed in Lebanon 44 years ago, in a joint…

Arab World Lebanese soldiers are seen at the Masnaa border crossing with Syria in wake of the collapse of the Syrian regime. (AP file)

Lebanon Mulls Removing Restrictions Against 600,000 Syrians

Lebanese authorities began reviewing security restrictions against some 600,000 Syrians in the latest move that reflects Beirut’s desire to open a new chapter…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Sudanese army solders take part in a military parade on August 17, 2026, in the city of Gedaref in eastern Sudan during celebrations to mark the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces. (AFP)

More Displacement in Sudan as Battles Intensify

At least 12 people were killed and other wounded in Sudan’s North Kordofan as the army launched air strikes and drone attacks on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)…

Ahmed Younes (Kampala)
Arab World The UN Security Council discusses the situation in Libya. Photo: The Security Council

Tetteh Says Moving Libya's Political Process Forward Remains Crucial

Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Hanna Tetteh has revealed that Libya possesses…

Ali Barada (New York)