Damascus

Saudi Delegation Meets Syria's New Leader

A Saudi delegation has met Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, a source close to the government told AFP on Monday. The delegation joins a list of visitors to the Syrian capital since the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, led by Sharaa, spearheaded the toppling of president Bashar al-Assad on December 8. The "Saudi senior ...

Jordan Foreign Minister Hold Talks With Syria's New Leader

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressed his country's support for Syria's reconstruction in a meeting with its new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday, in the latest visit to Damascus by a high-profile delegation since Bashar al-Assad's overthrow. It was the first trip to Syria by a senior Jordanian official since Assad's ...

Joumblatt Delivers 13-Point Memorandum to Al-Sharaa

Following Sunday’s visit to Syria by the former head of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Walid Joumblatt, a 13-point memorandum was submitted to Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa. The memorandum focuses on establishing “healthy and stable relations” between Beirut and Damascus. It also provides a potential roadmap for addressing ...

Iran Affirms Support for Syria's Sovereignty

Iran affirmed its support for Syria's sovereignty on Monday, and said the country should not become "a haven for terrorism" after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad, a longtime Tehran ally. "Our principled position on Syria is very clear: preserving the sovereignty and integrity of Syria and for the people of Syria to decide on its future ...

Turkish FM Calls For Removal of Sanctions Imposed on Syria

International sanctions on Damascus must be lifted "as soon as possible" to allow Syria to get back on its feet and refugees to return home, Turkey's top diplomat said Sunday. "The sanctions imposed on the previous regime need to be lifted as soon as possible," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on a visit to ...

Al-Sharaa met Joumblatt, vows country will not negatively interfere in Lebanon

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told Lebanese Druze leaders on Sunday that his country  would not negatively interfere in Lebanon and would respect its neighbour's sovereignty. Syria will no longer exert "negative interference in Lebanon at all -- it respects Lebanon's sovereignty, the unity of its territories, the ...

US Drops Reward for Arrest of Syria's New Leader

A senior US diplomat told Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday that Washington was scrapping a reward for his arrest and welcomed "positive messages" from their talks, including a promise to fight terrorism. Barbara Leaf, Washington's top diplomat for the Middle East, made the comments after her meeting with Sharaa in Damascus, the first ...

American Strike Killed Islamic State Group Leader in Syria

American forces killed an Islamic State (IS) group leader and another of the group's members in a strike in Syria, the US military said on Friday. Washington has stepped up military action against the jihadist group since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government earlier this month, hitting areas that were shielded by Syrian and Russian air ...

US diplomats visit Syria to meet new rulers

US diplomats have arrived in Syria to speak directly to the new rulers, hoping to encourage a moderate, inclusive path and to find clues on missing Americans, the State Department said Friday. It is the first formal US diplomatic mission to Damascus since the early days of the brutal civil war that broke out in 2011 and culminated in a surprise ...

Hundreds in Damascus Protest for Democracy, Women's Rights

In Damascus's Ummayad Square, hundreds gathered Thursday, demanding a democratic state that includes women in public life, marking the first such demonstration since Islamist-led rebels toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Women and men, young and old, chanted slogans including "No to religious rule", "God is for religion ...

Syria Rescuers Say Bodies Found in Warehouse Next to Shiite Shrine Near Damascus

A Syrian civil defence official said Wednesday that White Helmets rescuers discovered unidentified bodies and remains in a medicine warehouse in Damascus southern suburb, 10 days after Bashar al-Assad's ouster. An AFP video journalist at the scene said the warehouse strewn with medicine boxes was located just around 50 metres (yards) from the ...

Erdogan Praises France’s Diplomatic Reengagement in Post-Assad Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed France's decision to send diplomats to Damascus after the fall of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in a phone call with President Emmanuel Macron, the presidency said Wednesday. A French delegation arrived Tuesday at the country's embassy in Damascus, the first visit of diplomats from France since ...