Bombs Wound 18 During Macron's Syria Visit

The bombings cast a shadow over a visit full of symbolism. Macron is the first major Western leader to travel to Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was removed from power in late 2024, and his talks with al-Sharaa were seen as recognition of Syria's new government. Al-Sharaa, once the commander of an Islamist group with roots in al-Qaeda, has tried to distance himself from that past and to show the country as stable and open for business. France has been one of his strongest Western supporters, pushing for sanctions to be lifted. Yet security remains fragile: no group admitted carrying out the attack, and only days earlier a blast at a busy Damascus cafe killed at least nine people.

Macron pressed on. At a later news conference, al-Sharaa praised his "courage" for continuing. The two governments agreed to appoint ambassadors, restoring ties France cut in 2012, and Macron's business delegation signed more than a dozen deals covering aviation, banking, and health. For a country where about 90% of people live in poverty after more than a decade of war, the agreements offered a fragile hope of recovery.