Paris court upholds validity of France's arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad

PARIS (AP) — The Paris appeals court ruled on Wednesday that an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad issued by France for alleged complicity in war crimes during Syria’s civil war is valid and remains in place, lawyers said. Jeanne Sulzer and Clemence...

Paris appeals court upholds international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad

Thousands of Iran-backed fighters offer to join Hezbollah in its fight against Israel

BEIRUT (AP) — Thousands of fighters from Iran-backed groups in the Middle East are ready to come to Lebanon to join with the militant Hezbollah group in its battle with Israel if the simmering conflict escalates into a full-blown war, officials with Iran-backed factions and analysts say. ...

Swedish court acquits former Syrian army general accused of role in war crimes

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A Swedish judge on Thursday acquitted a former Syrian army general of indiscriminate attacks on civilians in his home country more than a decade ago, saying prosecutors failed to provide evidence of his involvement in the war crimes. Brig. Gen. Mohammed...

Syria says no dialogue with Turkey before Ankara announces plans to withdraw its troops

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s foreign minister said Tuesday that any dialogue between Syria and Turkey should only take place after Ankara announces that it will withdraw its troops from all Syrian territories it controls. Faisal Mekdad made the comments during a joint news...

Israeli airstrikes near Syria's Aleppo kill several, including an Iranian adviser, reports say

BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli airstrikes around the Syrian city of Aleppo killed several people early on Monday, including an Iranian military adviser, the Syrian state media and Iranian news outlets reported. Israel did not immediately acknowledge the strikes. It was the...

Iran announces the death of a high-ranking Revolutionary Guard general after a long illness

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A high-ranking general in Iran's Revolutionary Guard has died after an illness, Iran's state TV reported Saturday. Gen. Vajihollah Moradi was one of the commanders of the Guard's foreign wing, TV said. He was also a comrade of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was...

Syrian President Bashar Assad visits Iran to express condolences over death of Raisi

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad met with Iran's supreme leader in the capital Tehran on Thursday and expressed his condolences over the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, state media reported Thursday. Assad met with Iranian Supreme Leader...

First Syrian jet in over a decade transports Muslim worshippers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — For the first time in over a decade, 270 Syrians traveled on a direct flight early Tuesday from Damascus to Saudi Arabia for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, the Syrian Transportation Ministry said. The development is part of an ongoing thaw in relations...

Saudi Arabia appoints first ambassador to Syria since 2012

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Sunday announced the appointment of its first ambassador to Syria since severing ties with Damascus in 12 years, marking an ongoing thawing in relations since the war-torn country was readmitted to the Arab League over a year ago. Faisal al-Mujfel's...