What Syria’s revolution can teach the world about democracy
In an interview with Syria Direct, journalist and author Anand Gopal reflects on Syria’s unfinished revolution, its democratic experiments and the challenges facing the country’s new leadership.
The Damascus oud maker fighting to keep a generations-old craft alive
Damascus oud maker Antoun “Tony” al-Tawil has weathered war, displacement and economic crisis, relying on his community to keep alive a craft passed down through generations.
A terrible beauty is born: Syria after Assad
Ten years after Burning Country, Robin Yassin-Kassab examines post-Assad Syria, capturing the possibilities of revolution alongside the violence, communal tensions and external threats confronting the country’s fragile political transition.
Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood fights for its future
Under mounting regional pressure and facing deep internal divisions, Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood is weighing its political future as the country’s uncertain transition raises questions over political parties and pluralism.
Syria is rising, al-Sharaa tells UN—but challenges remain at home
Syria’s diplomatic rehabilitation has moved at breakneck speed. Now, al-Sharaa faces a harder challenge: turning international acceptance into economic progress, stronger institutions and restored sovereignty for Syrians at home.
Bad gas: Trouble at Syria’s al-Tabiyah plant leaves a bad smell
Winter is coming and Deir ez-Zor’s Conoco gas plant restarts production amid allegations of mismanagement and shoddy repairs
Fuel anger erupts in the government’s Idlib heartland
Fuel price hikes have sparked widespread protests across Syria, with anger reaching Idlib’s Maarat al-Numan, where residents say rising costs threaten livelihoods, reconstruction and the country’s agricultural sector.
The road to Mecca: Soldiers, spies and the new Syria-Pakistan relationship
Pakistan’s historic military and intelligence ties with Syria could help Damascus rebuild its security institutions.
Oil flows, fuel runs dry: Syria’s paradox as a new energy corridor
Iraq’s oil tankers are turning Syria into a vital energy corridor, but as exports flow through Baniyas, Syrians face fuel shortages and hours-long waits at gas stations.
9/11 through Syrian eyes
Twenty-five years after 9/11, its consequences still shape Syria, from Assad’s manipulation of jihadism and the War on Terror to the rise of Ahmad al-Sharaa and a transformed regional order.