Macron Restores Diplomatic Ties With Syria Amid Damascus Bombings

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Damascus on July 6 and 7, 2026, marking the first visit by a Western head of state since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Macron and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa agreed to normalize diplomatic relations by exchanging resident ambassadors, the first such move since France closed its embassy in 2012.

During the state visit, the two leaders signed 15 bilateral agreements focusing on energy, banking, healthcare, and infrastructure. Macron announced that France would return €51 million seized from Rifaat al-Assad to fund Syrian reconstruction projects. The leaders also discussed a new security framework, including potential French special forces deployment against the Islamic State. Al-Sharaa urged France to take an active role in halting Israeli military escalations and positioned Syria as a strategic trade crossroads following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Security instability marred the visit when twin improvised explosive devices detonated on July 7 near the Four Seasons Hotel and the Ministry of Tourism. The blasts, which struck a parked car and a garbage container, wounded 18 people, including four police officers. The French presidency confirmed that Macron was safe and not audible to the blasts, as he was in a motorcade or at the presidential palace during the explosions. While no group immediately claimed responsibility, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is suspected. Following the meetings, Macron departed for a NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye.