Syria – War Watch

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Displacement Film Fund review – Cate Blanchett masterminds short film collection that brims with life and intensity
ByPeter Bradshaw January 30, 2026

Rotterdam film festivalA set of shorts by film-makers from Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, Syria and Somalia are shocking, funny and mysterious in equal measureWith considerable chutzpah and elan, and in her capacity as producer and UNHCR Goodwill ambassad…

Read More Displacement Film Fund review – Cate Blanchett masterminds short film collection that brims with life and intensity
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kurds | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Syria | World news

Syrian government and Kurdish forces reach deal on permanent truce
ByWilliam Christou January 30, 2026

Milestone appears to resolve escalating tensions over the question of Kurdish autonomy in north-east SyriaThe Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces have reached an agreement to extend a fragile ceasefire into a permanent truce, laying a framework fo…

Read More Syrian government and Kurdish forces reach deal on permanent truce
al-Shara, Ahmed (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) (1982- ) | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kurds | Syria | Syrian Democratic Forces | War and Armed Conflicts

Syrian Government and Kurdish-Led Militia Seal a Deal to Merge Forces
ByChristina Goldbaum January 30, 2026January 30, 2026

The long-anticipated agreement closes a period of intense uncertainty in northeastern Syria after rebel forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is now the president, seized power in December 2024.

Read More Syrian Government and Kurdish-Led Militia Seal a Deal to Merge Forces
al-Shara, Ahmed (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) (1982- ) | Assad, Bashar al- | International Relations | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Military Bases and Installations | Putin, Vladimir V | Russia | Syria

Putin, Still Harboring Assad, Welcomes New Syrian Leader to Moscow Again
ByPaul Sonne January 28, 2026January 28, 2026

This is the second time that President Vladimir V. Putin has hosted President Ahmed al-Sharaa since the fall of the Russia-backed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Read More Putin, Still Harboring Assad, Welcomes New Syrian Leader to Moscow Again
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Islamic State | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Syria | World news

Can Syria keep the world safe from IS fighters?
By January 28, 2026

Syrian government forces have seized swathes of territory from Kurdish groups – including camps holding IS prisoners. Will Christou reports on why this is a dangerous momentWill Christou reports on Syria for the Guardian and has been watching the new g…

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Mother of man jailed in Syria for Islamic State links calls for his repatriation to UK or Canada
ByDan Sabbagh Defence and security editor January 27, 2026

Sally Lane fears son Jack Letts, who left UK aged 18, may face death penalty if airlifted to Iraq under US operationThe mother of a British-born man detained for nearly nine years without trial in Syria has called for his repatriation to the UK or Cana…

Read More Mother of man jailed in Syria for Islamic State links calls for his repatriation to UK or Canada
al-Shara, Ahmed (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) (1982- ) | Defense and Military Forces | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kurds | Peace Process | Syria | Syrian Army | Syrian Democratic Forces | Terrorism | War and Armed Conflicts

Syria Announces Cease-Fire Extension, Hours After Truce With Kurds Expired
ByAbdi Latif Dahir January 24, 2026January 24, 2026

Syria’s government and Kurdish-led forces in the country’s northeast have clashed as President Ahmed al-Sharaa seeks to extend his authority across the entire country.

Read More Syria Announces Cease-Fire Extension, Hours After Truce With Kurds Expired
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Iraq | Islamic State | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kurds | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Syria | World news

The ‘ticking-bomb’ Syrian prisons filled with IS suspects – video explainer
By January 24, 2026

The Syrian government has taken control of several prison camps holding Islamic State (IS) suspects in the north-east of the country.The takeover took place after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which previously controlled the facilities, signed a …

Read More The ‘ticking-bomb’ Syrian prisons filled with IS suspects – video explainer
Aleppo | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Islamic State | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Syria | World news

Syrian and Kurdish forces agree to extend ceasefire as threat of war looms
ByWilliam Christou in Deir el-Zour January 24, 2026

Ceasefire to be extended for one month to allow transfer of suspected Islamic State members from Syria to IraqThe Syrian government and Kurdish forces agreed to extend a ceasefire on Saturday, according to Syrian diplomatic sources, temporarily staving…

Read More Syrian and Kurdish forces agree to extend ceasefire as threat of war looms
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Bashar al-Assad | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Syria

‘We were forced to burn bodies’: will survivors of the Tadamon massacres see justice? – podcast
By January 23, 2026

During the conflict, the Damascus suburb became a killing field. But some of Assad’s henchmen are still around – and even working with the new governmentBy Melvyn Ingleby. Read by Selva Rasalingam Continue reading…

Read More ‘We were forced to burn bodies’: will survivors of the Tadamon massacres see justice? – podcast