In Syria, violence continued between rival factions even after a ceasefire deal. Government troops withdrew overnight from a region as Israel said it would not allow Syrian forces south of Damascus, extending its attempted control of the area.

This escalation threatens Washington’s nascent normalization track with Syria’s interim president, and former jihadist Ahmed al‑Sharaa. President Trump publicly courted Sharaa in Riyadh in May, providing sanctions relief and a future place in the Abraham Accords, a plan now in doubt after Israel’s strike on Damascus.

Israel strikes Damascus, ICE gets Medicaid access, and global flashpoints heat up from Syria to Taiwan. Catch up on today’s top moves.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order lifting most US sanctions on Syria this week, cementing a sea change in his country’s approach to Damascus. What explains the shift, and what could future relations look like?

US policy is to have one Syria and one army there and not support federalism. US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack has a clear message for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

Sharply escalating tensions in Syria appeared to ease on Thursday following a new ceasefire, a day after Israel bombed Damascus and threatened further attacks under the pretext of "protecting the Druze" amid sectarian clashes in the southern province of Sweida.

For weeks, Israel has engaged in back-channel talks over a diplomatic agreement with the Syrian government. Its strikes on Damascus this week highlight a lack of strategic clarity.

Rising pressure. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the foreign ministers of Germany and Greece to

Sham's terror designation, following the decision to lift Syria sanctions in order to aid its reconstruction after HTS ousted Assad.