Syria Weekly: April 7-14, 2026

High-level visits to Turkey & Jordan solidify Syria’s regional economic integration; Sanctions on agenda at IMF-World Bank meetings; SDF integration continues; Internal Suwayda tensions persist & more

SYRIA’S TRANSITION:

• Transition Meetings

• Appointments

• Political Developments

• Economic Developments

• Infrastructure Developments

• Education Developments

• Security Developments

• Humanitarian Developments

• Health Developments

• Justice Developments

• International Developments

CONFLICT & SECURITY:

• Israel

• ISIS

• Idlib

• Aleppo

• Hama

• Homs

• Raqqa

• Hasakeh

• Deir ez Zour

• Rif Dimashq

• Damascus

• Daraa

• Suwayda

• Quneitra

SYRIA’S TRANSITION:

Transition Meetings:

April 7:

• Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani hosted meetings and received the credentials of Indonesia’s Ambassador, Lukman Hakim Siregar; the Czech Republic’s Ambassador Vitislav Pivonka; and the Greek Ambassador Emmanuel Kakavelakis on April 7.

  

• The MOD’s Assistant Ministers for the Eastern Region (Brigadier General Sipan Hamo) and Northern Region (Brigadier General Fahim Issa) met on April 7 to discuss military coordination amid the SDF’s continued integration into the state. Both had been years-long enemies until January 2026.

• Minister of Emergency and Disaster Response Raed al-Saleh hosted a meeting with the Deputy Chairman of Turkey’s IHH foundation in Damascus on April 7, to discuss IHH’s “full readiness to provide all forms of support within the framework of an integrated disaster management approach… including enhancing cooperation in the areas of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery operations, in addition to implementing periodic and practical training programs, and forming fully equipped search and rescue teams.”

• Governor of Daraa Anwar al-Zoubi hosted a meeting with the UNHCR representative for southern Syria, Ali Bibi, on April 7 to discuss humanitarian needs in Daraa and coordinating the programming of the UN and NGOs to be most impactful.

• The Director of the General Authority for Ports and Customs, Qutaiba Badawi, visited Latakia Port on April 7 and met with its Container Terminal Director, Faisal Howeilo, to discuss its ongoing operations, plans and needs.