Zaman Alwasl

09/06/2026

After years of harsh sanctions and near-total economic isolation, relations between Syria and the United States are undergoing a dramatic transformation, with US officials currently hosting a high-level Syrian government delegation to discuss prospects

09/06/2026

Defense Minister Abu Qasra visits Ankara, meets Turkish counterpart

Ankara, June 9 (SANA) Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasra, accompanied by a delegation of senior officers, paid an official visit to the Turkish capital, Ankara, where he met with his Turkish counterpart, General Yaşar Güler.During the meeting,

09/06/2026

🔴 A Historic Shift in Syrian-American Relations: Washington Welcomes the Syrian Energy Minister to Discuss Oil Investment


After years of harsh sanctions and near-total economic isolation, relations between Syria and the United States are undergoing a dramatic transformation. American officials are currently hosting a high-level Syrian government delegation to discuss prospects for cooperation in the energy sector.

In a scenario that seemed unimaginable before the end of 2024, Syrian Energy Minister, Engineer Muhammad al-Bashir, held intensive meetings in Washington, D.C., including a meeting with his American counterpart, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and an expanded session at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce attended by major oil and gas companies.

🔴 Talks with HKN Energy
The Syrian delegation held a bilateral meeting with Mark Rollins, President of the American company HKN Energy, in the presence of Ross Perot Jr., President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along with representatives from the Hillwood Investment Group.

According to a statement issued by the Syrian Ministry of Energy, the two sides discussed "opportunities for rehabilitating and developing the infrastructure of the oil and gas sector and related logistical projects, in addition to reviewing the facilities and regulatory environment aimed at attracting investments and strengthening international partnerships in Syria."

🔴 Serious US Interest

For his part, Engineer Youssef Qablawi, CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Company, revealed "genuine and serious interest from major American companies to invest in the Syrian oil and gas sector," adding: "We look forward to building strong strategic partnerships that support efforts to rehabilitate vital facilities and develop the fields."

Participating in the meeting from the Syrian side were the Deputy Minister for Planning Affairs, Engineer Ibrahim Al-Adhan, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Washington, Mohammed Qantari, and the Director of the Government Communications Directorate, Ahmed Al-Sulaiman.

🔴 Syrian-Egyptian Cooperation

On the sidelines of the visit, Minister Al-Bashir also met with the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum, Engineer Karim Badawi, to discuss prospects for Syrian-Egyptian partnerships in the energy sector, indicating a multi-pronged diplomatic and economic initiative. The Syrian delegation is participating in the World Energy Forum in Washington, where a detailed presentation was given on the Ministry of Energy's vision for developing the sector in Syria and the incentives the government is working to provide to attract foreign investment.

🔴 From Sanctions to Investment

This visit, which represents a radical shift in the American position, comes after Syria's name in Washington was exclusively associated with the Caesar Act sanctions, asset freezes, and UN Security Council resolutions, where American companies were completely prohibited from dealing with Syrian institutions.

Today, with American companies beginning to operate in the oil and gas sector in Syria, Washington appears to be opening its doors and those of its companies to Syrian government delegations, reflecting a deeper change in the regional political and economic landscape.

09/06/2026

🔴 A Historic Shift in Syrian-American Relations: Washington Welcomes the Syrian Energy Minister to Discuss Oil Investment


After years of harsh sanctions and near-total economic isolation, relations between Syria and the United States are undergoing a dramatic transformation. American officials are currently hosting a high-level Syrian government delegation to discuss prospects for cooperation in the energy sector.

In a scenario that seemed unimaginable before the end of 2024, Syrian Energy Minister, Engineer Muhammad al-Bashir, held intensive meetings in Washington, D.C., including a meeting with his American counterpart, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and an expanded session at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce attended by major oil and gas companies.

🔴 Talks with HKN Energy
The Syrian delegation held a bilateral meeting with Mark Rollins, President of the American company HKN Energy, in the presence of Ross Perot Jr., President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along with representatives from the Hillwood Investment Group.

According to a statement issued by the Syrian Ministry of Energy, the two sides discussed "opportunities for rehabilitating and developing the infrastructure of the oil and gas sector and related logistical projects, in addition to reviewing the facilities and regulatory environment aimed at attracting investments and strengthening international partnerships in Syria."

🔴 Serious US Interest

For his part, Engineer Youssef Qablawi, CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Company, revealed "genuine and serious interest from major American companies to invest in the Syrian oil and gas sector," adding: "We look forward to building strong strategic partnerships that support efforts to rehabilitate vital facilities and develop the fields."

Participating in the meeting from the Syrian side were the Deputy Minister for Planning Affairs, Engineer Ibrahim Al-Adhan, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Washington, Mohammed Qantari, and the Director of the Government Communications Directorate, Ahmed Al-Sulaiman.

🔴 Syrian-Egyptian Cooperation

On the sidelines of the visit, Minister Al-Bashir also met with the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum, Engineer Karim Badawi, to discuss prospects for Syrian-Egyptian partnerships in the energy sector, indicating a multi-pronged diplomatic and economic initiative. The Syrian delegation is participating in the World Energy Forum in Washington, where a detailed presentation was given on the Ministry of Energy's vision for developing the sector in Syria and the incentives the government is working to provide to attract foreign investment.

🔴 From Sanctions to Investment

This visit, which represents a radical shift in the American position, comes after Syria's name in Washington was exclusively associated with the Caesar Act sanctions, asset freezes, and UN Security Council resolutions, where American companies were completely prohibited from dealing with Syrian institutions.

Today, with American companies beginning to operate in the oil and gas sector in Syria, Washington appears to be opening its doors and those of its companies to Syrian government delegations, reflecting a deeper change in the regional political and economic landscape.

🔴 تحول تاريخي في العلاقات السورية الأمريكية: واشنطن تستقبل وزير الطاقة السوري لبحث الاستثمار النفطي


بعد سنوات من العقوبات القاسية والعزلة الاقتصادية شبه الكاملة، تشهد العلاقة بين سوريا والولايات المتحدة تحولاً دراماتيكياً، حيث يستضيف المسؤولون الأمريكيون حالياً وفداً حكومياً سورياً رفيع المستوى لبحث آفاق التعاون في قطاع الطاقة.
في مشهد كان مستحيلاً قبل نهاية عام 2024، عقد وزير الطاقة السوري المهندس محمد البشير اجتماعات مكثفة في العاصمة الأمريكية واشنطن، شملت لقاءً مع نظيره وزير الطاقة الأمريكي كريس رايت، وجلسة موسعة في غرفة التجارة الأمريكية حضرتها كبرى شركات النفط والغاز.
🔴 مباحثات مع شركة HKN Energy
وعقد الوفد السوري اجتماعاً ثنائياً مع مارك رولينز، رئيس شركة HKN Energy الأمريكية، وبحضور روس بيروت جونيور رئيس غرفة التجارة الأمريكية، إلى جانب ممثلين عن مجموعة Hillwood الاستثمارية.
وبحث الجانبان، وفق بيان صادر عن وزارة الطاقة السورية، "فرص إعادة تأهيل وتطوير البنية التحتية لقطاع النفط والغاز والمشاريع اللوجستية المرتبطة به، إلى جانب استعراض التسهيلات والبيئة التنظيمية الهادفة إلى جذب الاستثمارات وتعزيز الشراكات الدولية في سوريا".
🔴 اهتمام أمريكي جاد
من جانبه، كشف المهندس يوسف قبلاوي، الرئيس التنفيذي للشركة السورية للبترول، عن "اهتمام حقيقي وجاد من كبرى الشركات الأمريكية للاستثمار في قطاع النفط والغاز السوري"، مضيفاً: "نتطلع إلى بناء شراكات استراتيجية متينة تدعم جهود إعادة تأهيل المرافق الحيوية وتطوير الحقول".
وشارك في الاجتماع من الجانب السوري كل من معاون الوزير لشؤون التخطيط المهندس إبراهيم العدهان، والقائم بأعمال السفارة السورية بواشنطن محمد قناطري، ومدير مديرية الاتصال الحكومي أحمد السليمان.
🔴 تعاون سوري مصري
وعلى هامش الزيارة، التقى الوزير البشير أيضاً مع وزير البترول المصري المهندس كريم بدوي، لبحث آفاق شراكات سورية-مصرية في مجال الطاقة، في مؤشر على تحرك دبلوماسي اقتصادي متعدد المسارات.
ويشارك الوفد السوري في المنتدى العالمي للطاقة المنعقد في واشنطن، حيث قُدِّم عرض تفصيلي حول رؤية وزارة الطاقة لتطوير القطاع في سوريا، والتسهيلات التي تعمل الحكومة على توفيرها لاستقطاب رؤوس الأموال الأجنبية.
🔴 من العقوبات إلى الاستثمار
الزيارة التي تجسد تحولاً جذرياً في الموقف الأمريكي، تأتي بعد أن كان اسم سوريا في واشنطن مرتبطاً حصراً بعقوبات "قانون قيصر"، وتجميد الأصول، وملفات مجلس الأمن، حيث كانت الشركات الأمريكية ممنوعة تماماً من التعامل مع المؤسسات السورية.
اليوم، ومع بدء شركات أمريكية بالعمل فعلياً في قطاع النفط والغاز داخل سوريا، يبدو أن واشنطن تفتح أبوابها وأبواب شركاتها للوفود الحكومية السورية، في انعكاس لتغير أعمق في ملامح المشهد السياسي والاقتصادي الإقليمي.

09/06/2026

"Nepotism diplomacy": How do appointments swallow up merit-based criteria?

While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, through its online platforms, emphasizes a competitive recruitment system based on rigorous criteria and public competitions, appointments to some vital diplomatic missions raise questions about the

08/06/2026

Trump calls Netanyahu after Israel-Iran clashes

US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, a White House official told AFP, after the first exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran since an April ceasefire.The call came amid reports of an increasingly testy relationship

08/06/2026

Syria’s First Lady attends launch of national cervical cancer prevention program

Syria’s First Lady Latifa al-Droubi, wife of President Ahmad al-Sharaa, attended the launch ceremony of Syria’s National Cervical Cancer Prevention Program, an initiative aimed at expanding early detection and preventive healthcare services for women.The

08/06/2026

Presidential Patronage for the Opening of the Tourism Season in Tartous

President Ahmed al-Sharaa attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 Tartous tourism season today, held at the Festival Square on the Tartous Corniche.

The Minister of Tourism, Mazen al-Salhani, and the Governor of Tartous, Ahmed al-Shami, also participated in the opening ceremony, delivering speeches on the importance of government support for the tourism sector and enhancing tourist appeal.

According to a report published by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the event featured a promotional video showcasing the Tartous Governorate, highlighting its most prominent natural and tourist attractions, as well as paragliding displays that added a distinctive touch to the start of the tourism season.

President al-Sharaa inspected several tourist and heritage sites on Arwad Island, off the coast of Tartus.

In a statement to Syrian state television, he said, “Syria has returned to the Syrians. Arwad Island had been neglected, and our visit to it, as well as to Tartus and Latakia, confirms that it will serve as a new platform for rebuilding the Syrian economy.”

He added, “This is the first visit by a Syrian president to Arwad Island, and it directly confirms our keen interest in revitalizing the economy through this magnificent island and investing in it to the fullest extent.”

Al-Sharaa affirmed that the coming days will be better than the past, saying, “We are moving towards progress and prosperity, and there will be many job opportunities based on the projects we have reviewed and are directing to the Syrian coast.”

08/06/2026

🔴 The "Counter-Terrorism" Authority Joins the Pursuit of Assad's Businessmen: Permanent Freezing of Accounts and Companies


The "Counter-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Authority" has officially and extensively entered the fray of legal and financial pursuits aimed at drying up the financial assets of prominent figures and networks of businessmen linked to the former Syrian regime.

Zaman Al Wasl learned from informed sources that the Authority issued a confidential and strongly worded official circular to all banks operating in the country, bearing the wording "permanent freeze." The decision mandates the immediate and final seizure of all bank accounts and balances belonging to a number of the regime's economic fronts, obligating banks to provide the Authority with detailed and accurate financial statements regarding these balances within a short timeframe to ensure full implementation.

🔴 Activating Law "33" and Turning the Tables

The Authority based its confidential directive on the provisions of Legislative Decree No. 33 of 2005, as amended by subsequent decisions, specifically concerning combating money laundering and drying up the sources of terrorism.

In this context, sources told Zaman al-Wasl of a striking "historical and legal paradox." This body, established in 2003 and reorganized in 2005, has long been used by the Assad regime as a security and legal tool to persecute its opponents and restrict investments not loyal to it under the guise of "combating terrorism."

Today, the situation has completely reversed. The body, affiliated with the Central Bank of Syria, with its institutions and applicable laws, has become a weapon targeting the regime's own arms, opening serious files related to the Assad era's financial dealings, specifically those involving individuals and companies implicated in providing financial and logistical support to foreign militias and the National Defense Forces.

🔴 Front Companies and Businesses Targeted

According to documents and data reviewed by Zaman al-Wasl, the permanent asset freeze lists have begun to target extensive networks of companies, including prominent business names and front companies that have emerged in recent years, such as:

• Zain al-Abidin Abbas (son of Raeda Ammar, born in 1994), whose name has been added to the lists of those subject to immediate asset freezes.

• Targeted Companies: The decision included freezing the assets and accounts of the "Al-Hindiya Modern Tractors Company Limited," along with other front companies established to facilitate financial transactions and support armed groups affiliated with the former regime.

🔴 هيئة "مكافحة الإرهاب" تدخل على خط مطاردة رجال أعمال الأسد.. تجميد دائم للحسابات والشركات


دخلت "هيئة مكافحة غسيل الأموال وتمويل الإرهاب" رسمياً وعلى نحو واسع، خط الملاحقات القضائية والمالية التي تستهدف تجفيف الأصول المالية التابعة لرموز وشبكات رجال الأعمال المرتبطين بالنظام السوري السابق.
وعلمت "زمان الوصل" من مصادر مطلعة، أن الهيئة وجهت تعميماً رسمياً سرياً ومشدداً إلى جميع المصارف والبنوك العاملة في البلاد، يحمل صيغة "تجميد دائم" . ويقضي القرار بالحجز الفوري والنهائي على كافة الحسابات المصرفية والأرصدة العائدة لعدد من واجهات النظام الاقتصادية، مع إلزام البنوك بتزويد الهيئة بكشوفات مالية تفصيلية ودقيقة حول تلك الأرصدة خلال مهلة زمنية قصيرة لضمان التنفيذ الكامل.
🔴 تفعيل القانون "33" وقلب الطاولة
استندت الهيئة في كتابها السري إلى أحكام المرسوم التشريعي رقم 33 لعام 2005، والمعدل بقرارات لاحقة خاصة بمكافحة غسيل الأموال وتجفيف منابع الإرهاب.
وفي هذا السياق، أشارت المصادر لـ"زمان الوصل" إلى "مفارقة تاريخية وقانونية" لافتة؛ إذ إن هذه الهيئة التي تأسست في عام 2003 وأعيد تنظيمها في عام 2005، لطالما وظفها نظام الأسد طوال العقود الماضية كأداة أمنية وقانونية لملاحقة معارضيه، والتضييق على الاستثمارات غير الموالية له تحت غطاء "مكافحة الإرهاب".
اليوم، انقلبت الآية تماماً؛ حيث تحولت الهيئة التابعة لمصرف سوريا المركزي، بمؤسساتها وقوانينها النافذة إلى سلاح يطارد أذرع النظام نفسه، ويفتح ملفات ثقيلة تتعلق بحقبة الأسد المالية، وتحديداً الشخصيات والشركات المتورطة في تقديم الدعم المالي واللوجستي للمليشيات الأجنبية وقوات "الدفاع الوطني".
🔴 واجهات وشركات في المرمى
وفقاً للوثائق والمعطيات التي أطلعت عليها "زمان الوصل"، فإن قوائم التجميد الدائم بدأت تطال شبكات واسعة من الشركات، من بينها أسماء وواجهات تجارية برزت في السنوات الأخيرة، ومنها:
• زين العابدين عباس: (والدته رائدة عمار، من مواليد عام 1994)، والذي تدرج اسمه في قوائم الحظر والتجميد الفوري.
• الشركات المستهدفة: شمل القرار تجميد أصول وحسابات "شركة الهندية للجرارات الحديثة محدودة المسؤولية" ، إلى جانب شركات واجهة أخرى أُسست بغرض تمرير صفقات مالية ودعم الكيانات المسلحة التابعة للنظام السابق.