Latest news with #Al-Assad
Leaders
2 days ago
- Business
- Leaders
Flynas to Begin Direct Flights to Damascus on June 5
Flynas, the Saudi low-cost carrier, will launch its first direct flight between Riyadh and Damascus next week from June 5, according to Al-Arabiya. The resumption of flights comes amid a broader regional reopening of Syrian airspace. 'Officially…flynas announces the launch of its first direct flight between Riyadh and the Syrian capital, Damascus, starting June 5th next week,' the company said on X. The carrier previously operated direct flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to Damascus, Aleppo, and Latakia. However, the Syrian civil war caused the suspension of flights to Syria during Al-Assad's era. After the fall of Al-Assad's rule in December 2024, Syria has unfolded a new chapter to rebuild its future and expand diplomatic ties. In April, Syrian Airlines formally unveiled the resumption of direct flights between Syria and the United Arab Emirates, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). A statement on the airline's official Facebook page noted that the initial phase will involve exceptional flights to Dubai and Sharjah. The airlines will operate four weekly flights between Damascus and Dubai on Saturdays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. In addition, the statement revealed other plans to operate daily flights soon. As for Sharjah, flights will run on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, with ongoing efforts to turn them into daily flights. On Tuesdays and Fridays, flights will run between Damascus and Abu Dhabi. Currently, Syrian Airlines is intensifying its efforts to expand its network as quickly as possible. Related Topics: Positive Signal: US Flag Raised over Ambassador's Residence in Damascus Official Visit: Palestinian President Arrives in Damascus Cyprus Grants Financial Support to Syrian Families to Resettle Short link : Post Views: 12
Shafaq News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Israeli, Syrian officials engage in face-to-face talks
Shafaq News/ Israel and Syria engaged in direct talks in recent weeks to de-escalate tensions along their shared border, sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The talks follow months of indirect negotiations and growing US pressure for stability following the fall of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, according to two Syrian and two Western sources, as well as a regional intelligence official. Several rounds of in-person talks have been held in the border region, including Israeli-controlled areas, with Israeli security officials. On the Syrian side, the discussions are being led by Ahmad Al-Dalati, a senior security figure who became governor of Quneitra province—bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights—after Al-Assad's ouster. Al-Dalati was recently also assigned to oversee security in Sweida province, home to Syria's Druze minority. While the face-to-face negotiations have so far focused on border security and limiting Israeli incursions into Syrian villages, two sources said the dialogue may lay the groundwork for future political understandings. Earlier this month, Syrian transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa acknowledged the existence of indirect communications with Israel, aimed at reducing tensions. US President Donald Trump suggested after his recent meeting with Al-Sharaa in Riyadh that Syria may eventually be open to normalizing ties with Israel, though he acknowledged that the process would take time. Al-Sharaa has not directly responded but voiced support for returning to the terms of the 1974 disengagement agreement that established a UN buffer zone in the Golan Heights. In a further gesture, Syrian authorities had agreed to return the personal belongings of Eli Cohen, the long-dead Israeli spy who infiltrated the Syrian government in the 1960s. Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and expanded its control further after Al-Assad's removal in December 2023, citing concerns over the backgrounds of the new Islamist rulers in Damascus. It carried out an aerial bombing campaign that severely damaged the country's military infrastructure, all while pressuring Washington to ensure it remained weak and decentralized. However, both the airstrikes and the political pressure have eased in recent weeks.
Shafaq News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Israeli forces seize key water source in southern Syria
Shafaq News/ Israeli forces have seized control of a key water well in the town of Hader in the Quneitra countryside in south Syria, local sources reported on Friday. The Israeli army took over the Ain al-Tineh well—considered the primary source of drinking water for residents of Hader—and set up a checkpoint at the old UN emergency point on the Ain al-Tineh road, blocking locals from accessing their agricultural lands beyond the barrier. The sources added that Israeli troops expanded their presence northward, taking control of the Qurs al-Nafl site, where they have launched undisclosed activities. Separately, Syria's Al-Watan newspaper reported that Israeli forces arrested three Syrian men from Hader on Thursday, including a father and son. They were taken into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Their whereabouts and the charges against them remain unknown. In the wake of the Al-Assad regime's collapse in December 2024, Israeli military activity in Syria's Quneitra province has sharply increased, with forces establishing outposts, erecting checkpoints, and seizing strategic areas.
Shafaq News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Syria seizes over four million Captagon pills in Latakia
Shafaq News/ Syrian authorities announced Monday the seizure of more than four million Captagon pills in the coastal city of Latakia. According to the Interior Ministry, the narcotics were hidden inside industrial tahini-production equipment intended for smuggling abroad. The individuals involved were arrested and referred for investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor, while the smuggling equipment was also confiscated. في عملية نوعية مشتركة بين مديرية أمن اللاذقية وإدارة مكافحة المخدرات، تمكّنت الجهات المختصة من ضبط أربعة ملايين حبة كبتاغون مخدّرة، كانت مخبأة بإحكام داخل آلات صناعية، تمهيداً لتهريبها إلى خارج البلاد. #الجمهورية_العربية_السورية #وزارة_الداخلية — وزارة الداخلية السورية (@syrianmoi) May 19, 2025 The seizure comes less than a week after authorities intercepted another shipment of nine million Captagon pills bound for Turkiye. Captagon—a powerful amphetamine-type stimulant—has emerged as Syria's most lucrative illicit export. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the country has become the primary global hub for its production and distribution. In its March 2024 report, the UNODC noted that Syria accounted for nearly 82% of Captagon seizures across the Middle East in 2023, with neighboring Lebanon contributing 17%. A 2021 assessment by the Center for Operational Analysis and Research (COAR) valued Syria's Captagon economy at between $5.7B and $57B annually, exceeding the combined value of its legal exports. The industry took root during the country's prolonged civil conflict and has been linked to facilities in key government-controlled areas, including Homs, Latakia, and the outskirts of Damascus. While investigative reports have linked elements of the former regime's security forces—including the Syrian Army's elite Fourth Division—to the Captagon trade, the Al-Assad regime consistently denied any official involvement. Since the transition of power to Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the new government has vowed to dismantle the entrenched drug networks. In a recent televised speech, al-Sharaa acknowledged that Syria had become "the world's largest Captagon producer" and pledged to "cleanse the country of this illicit trade." Nonetheless, the problem persists across borders. Iraq, a key transit corridor for narcotics trafficked to Gulf states and Europe, reported a series of large seizures in recent weeks. Iraqi forces recently intercepted a shipment of 30,000 tablets near the western border, following the earlier confiscation of 1.1 tonnes of Captagon in a separate bust. UNODC data shows Iraq seized more than 24 million pills in 2023 alone, valued at up to $144 million.
Leaders
17-05-2025
- Business
- Leaders
Syria Plans to Print Currency in UAE and Germany, Remove Assad's Face
The Syrian government plans to print a new currency design in the UAE and Germany instead of Russia and remove former President Bashar Al-Assad's face from the Syrian pound, according to Reuters. This remarkable move stands as a testament to the growing relations between Syria with the Gulf and Western countries. These plans come after the US President Donald Trump has lifted sanctions on Syria, a move which unleased new opportunities for Syrian economy to flourish and succeed. After Trump's resolution, Syria signed an $800 million initial deal with the UAE's DP World to develop Tartus port. Earlier this year, the new Syrian government started to explore the possibility of printing currency in Germany and the UAE. This step has gained considerable momentum after the European Union eased some of its sanctions on Damascus in February. Importantly, the new design will remove Al-Assad's face from one of the Syrian pound's purple-hued denominations that is still circulating. As a result of civil war in Syria, the EU imposed sanctions that led to the termination of a contract to print currencies with a European firm. Therefore, Russia, one of Assad's key backers, became responsible of printing Syrian currencies. The new Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa has maintained ties with Moscow even after Al-Assad fled to Russia last December. Moreover, Syria received several cash shipments from Russia in recent months along with fuel and wheat. Meanwhile, Russia seeks to keep its two military bases in Syria's coastal region. Related Topics: Crown Prince, U.S. President, Syrian President Discuss Syria's Future Trump Meets Syria's Al-Sharaa in Riyadh Ahead of Qatar Visit Trump Announces from Riyadh Lifting of Sanctions on Syria Short link : Post Views: 13
