Middle East

VOA Kurdish: Iraqi and Kurdish officials deny reports of Maher al-Assad fleeing to Sulaymaniyah 

VOA Kurdish: Syrian currency gets boost in value, but prices remain high

CIA chief Burns looks for Israel-Hamas ceasefire in new Qatar talks

Israel, Arab media say halt to fighting, hostage release deal could occur soon

Syrian military bases destroyed after Assad’s fall

Following the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, military rebels and the Israeli military have targeted strongholds throughout the country. VOA's Joan Cabases Vega visited Qatana, Syria, a military base just outside the capital, for this story, narrated by Veronica Villafane.

Assad's Sednaya prison often last stop in Syrian families’ search

Relatives search the bowels of the huge prison as tens of thousands of people remain missing

VOA Persian: Iran executed at least 40 people in one week, group says

VOA Persian: Iranian market woes continue as US dollar hits record high

Russian military on the move by land and air in Syria

Amid conflicting reports of Russian plans in Syria, forces move from the Assad homeland

Turkey positions itself for bigger role as broker in 2025

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expanded Turkey's international footprint during 2024, putting him in a good position to work with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump

Winter’s arrival in Gaza brings further dread and suffering

As talks restart for a hostage release and ceasefire in Gaza, the arriving winter means life will get even harder for the two million Palestinians living in the territory. Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem, with Enas Tantesh and Amjed Tantesh in southern Gaza, have this report.

Israel’s defense minister envisions Israeli post-war security control in Gaza 

US has said war must bring end to Hamas control, but with Israeli forces leaving too 

Iran says awaiting 'necessary conditions' to reopen Syria embassy 

The diplomatic mission was vandalized following the ouster of Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad