Germany’s new chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to tighten immigration by suspending family reunification for Syrians with subsidiary protection, amid far-right pressure and support for Syria’s reconstruction.

The integration of the SDF into the Syrian state remains stalled due to its insistence on political decentralization, a demand rejected by Damascus as a threat to national unity and stability.

Lebanon faces escalating political tensions as PM Nawaf Salam pushes to centralize military authority and disarm Hezbollah, whose refusal and allied resistance deepen divisions and threaten the fragile ceasefire and national stability.

Led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the U.S. Treasury grants a temporary sanctions waiver for Syria, covering 25 groups and individuals for a period of 180 days.

Although the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which oversaw drug production and smuggling, has fallen, remnants of his networks are still active and continue to pose a threat to Syria’s neighbors, especially Jordan.

Lebanon’s Shiite duo—Hezbollah and Amal Movement—proved they still hold significant sway over their Shiite base, securing strong support in any electoral contest.

Following Trump’s announcement lifting sanctions on Syria, the U.S. expanded its political momentum toward Syria by appointing its ambassador to Ankara, Thomas Barak, as special envoy to Syria on May 23, 2025, while retaining his current post.

Syria’s agriculture, crippled by conflict, drought, and climate change, struggles with food security and recovery, as the new government seeks to modernize irrigation and cut water-heavy crops amid ongoing challenges.

Since 2019, Lebanese depositors have been waiting to recover their funds trapped in the banking system — even gradually — through laws that could be part of any financial reform plan by the new government led by Nawaf Salam.

The recent announcement by the PKK of its dissolution has opened a wide debate about the fate of its foreign fighters in Turkiye, amid European fears that some of its leaders and members may move to the continent.

Syria’s new government plans to introduce a redesigned currency, minus al-Assad’s image, as a step toward restoring stability, sovereignty, and economic control amid ongoing financial turmoil.

In an interview with Al-Estiklal, former AK party MP Rasul Tosun discussed Turkiye’s regional ambitions, the controversy surrounding Ekrem Imamoglu, and Erdogan’s possible 3rd term; he also criticized the Islamic world’s inaction on Gaza facing Israeli terrorism.

The new Syrian government is focusing its efforts on investing in the tourism sector for the 2025 season, aiming to generate revenue for a state treasury seeking diverse resources to help revive the economy.

Two years after its launch, Iraq’s Development Road project has yet to see any real progress on the ground, despite its major strategic importance in connecting Asia and Europe through Iraq and Turkiye.

Jordanian authorities erupted in anger after a media report revealed that they had received large sums of money in exchange for facilitating aid deliveries to Gaza.