The capital city of Syria, Damascus is one of the great historic cities of the Middle East and is considered one of the oldest, if not the oldest, capital in the world with a history going back thousands of years.
It has a rich history, having been an important city to many empires throughout time, and countless ruling dynasties have called the city home.
At one point, Damascus was renowned as an important cultural and economic center in the Middle East and historic buildings dotted the city.
However, in recent years, the city has fallen into drastic decline and lost much of its historic splendor due to the Syrian Civil War and the conflict with ISIS.
Despite this, it still maintains an important role as the seat of power of the Syrian government.
The Iranian decision shows that it wants to jockey for a role in Syria again.
Assad told his presidential office manager on Saturday, when he finished work, he was going home but instead headed to the airport.
The source said they were optimistic that the new government might move towards peace with Israel.
Syria refused to return Cohen's body to his family in Israel, and his body was allegedly buried multiple times to prevent Israel from finding and returning his remains.
The spectacular collapse of the Assad regime has introduced both uncertainty and opportunity.
BEHIND THE LINES: Few in Syria, among those close to the former regime, take seriously the moderate and considered image currently being presented by HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani.
MIDDLE ISRAEL: Israel’s gains in Syria are, at the end of the day, tactical. Turkey’s, by contrast, are historic.
In recent days, more than 350 Israeli airstrikes have targeted Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra.
As of 2022, there were reported to be only four Jews left in Syria, the Jewish Virtual Library said.
“Israel does not intervene in the internal Syrian conflict,” Israeli ambassador Danon wrote, emphasizing that the strikes were specifically aimed at ensuring the safety of Israeli citizens.
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