Дата публикации: 11-08-2026 11:40:30

Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death
Welcome back to the Daily Briefing.This is Ezgi Akin, filling in for Gabrielle. In today’s edition:Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad, brother to death for war crimesTurkey’s Fidan to visit LibyaIran’s Khamenei appoints six military commandersTrump boarded secret Turkey flight via catering truck due to Iran threatThanks for reading,Ezgi (ezgi_akin)Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad, brother to death for war crimesAn anti-government fighter tears down a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo after jihadists and their allies entered the northern Syrian city, on Nov. 30, 2024. — Mohammed AL-RIFAI / AFPA Syrian court sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother Maher to death in absentia Tuesday for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Syria’s 14-year civil war.The Damascus court convicted the brothers of premeditated murder, torture and arbitrary detention, saying Bashar bore responsibility as the country’s highest decision-maker. Atef Najib, the former security chief in Daraa whose violent suppression of anti-government protests in 2011 helped trigger the uprising, was also sentenced to death along with six other former regime officials.Bashar and Maher fled to Russia after rebels toppled the government in December 2024. Beatrice Farhat has details.Listen to a breakdown of the top headlines on today’s episode of the Middle East Minute podcast with Adam Lucente.Turkey’s Fidan to visit LibyaTurkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, on May 22, 2026. — Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty ImagesTurkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Libya on Tuesday and Wednesday for talks in Tripoli and Benghazi as Ankara steps up engagement with the country’s rival governments amid renewed US-led efforts to unify Libya’s divided institutions. Libya remains split between Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s UN-recognized government in Tripoli and eastern authorities under the de facto control of Khalifa Hifter, whose Libyan National Army controls much of the east and south.A Turkish diplomatic source told journalists that Fidan will discuss political, trade, energy, military and defense ties as well as recent developments in Libya’s political process. A high-level Libyan delegation traveled to Ankara last week for talks with Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Fidan and other senior officials. The contacts come as Washington pushes a power-sharing arrangement between the Tripoli-based government and eastern authorities.Iran’s Khamenei appoints six military commandersA delivery person rides a motorcycle near an image of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei at Valiasr Square in central Tehran on Aug. 8, 2026. — Photo by Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty ImagesIranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei appointed six officers to senior military posts Monday, another step in rebuilding Iran’s command structure after months of wartime losses. Ali Abdollahi was named armed forces chief of staff, while Ahmad Vahidi was confirmed as Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and promoted to major general. The IRGC's naval forces will be led by Ali Ozmaei, who was previously sanctioned by Washington over alleged harassment of commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Khamenei named former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezaei as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council on Sunday. Adam Lucente has details.Trump boarded secret Turkey flight via catering truck due to Iran threatUS President Donald Trump waves as he disembarks Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., Aug. 9, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzUS President Donald Trump was secretly transferred from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft while leaving Turkey last month because of a credible Iranian assassination threat, according to reports by the Washington Post and New York Times. After publicly boarding an older Air Force One in Ankara following a NATO summit, Trump was reportedly moved off the aircraft in a catering truck and transferred to an Air Force C-32A for the flight to Britain. The presidential jet, carrying journalists and some staff who believed Trump remained aboard, served as a decoy. The extraordinary security operation came amid the war with Iran and questions over the security of the newly refitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar that Trump had used to travel to Ankara. The White House said it uses “every tool” available to protect the president from threats.
eakin@al-monitor.com
Tue, 08/11/2026 - 07:40



Ezgi Akin



Sector

Politics & Security



Set as free content
Off


Newsletter
Daily Briefing


Geographic Categories

United States
Syria
Turkey
Libya
Iran

Основное содержимое страницы с новостью.

Why AL-MONITOR?

AL-MONITOR is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.

Live news & notifications

Follow over 100 expert journalists based across the region and get notified in real time of breaking stories and exclusives. *Expanded coverage on Energy & Defense sectors.

Premier analysis of the Middle East

Access the sharpest and most diverse regional minds giving you all the angles on regional trends.

Live events & video

Priority access to roundtables, summits and other events alongside AL-MONITOR's global community of regional influencers.

Specialized Newsletters

Get timely reporting on key countries and sectors with up to 10 daily and weekly newsletters straight to your inbox.

Big, exclusive interviews

Follow conversations with the region's biggest names in politics and business.

AL-MONITOR archives since 2012

Access a repository of over a decade's worth of regional coverage, insights and trends.

Схожие новости