President Bashar al-Assad, who wielded fear and force over Syria for more than two decades, fled the country under the cover of night — and a fake political address.

© David Guttenfelder/The New York Times

Years of strife ruined the energy sector, battered the currency and strangled growth. The West must ease financial controls to help the economy, experts say.

© Nicole Tung for The New York Times

Losing Syrian military bases would hurt the Kremlin’s attempts to project power in the Middle East and Africa.

© David Guttenfelder/The New York Times

Israeli fighter jets have launched hundreds of airstrikes, while soldiers have seized a buffer zone and captured military posts in territory formerly under Syrian control.

The U.S. officials planned to discuss governance and look for signs of Austin Tice, a missing American journalist, as well as other U.S. citizens.

© Nicole Tung for The New York Times

With the fall of al-Assad’s regime, the risk of an ISIS resurgence increases.

What will the president-elect do with them?

The end of al-Assad’s wretched regime unlocks many doors.

The rebel group H.T.S. was born as an Islamic State branch. But since pivoting from international jihad, it became dominant in Syria’s northwest.