America plans to reopen its embassy in Syria

The administration of US President Donald Trump has informed Congress of its intention to move forward with planning to reopen the US embassy in Damascus, after its closure in 2012 during the civil war in the country.

A notification sent to congressional committees earlier this month, and obtained by the Associated Press, stated that the State Department intends to “implement a gradual approach to the possible resumption of embassy operations in Syria.”

The notification, dated February 10, indicated that spending on these plans would begin within 15 days, that is, next week, without specifying a timetable for their completion or when American employees would return to Damascus permanently.

The US administration has been studying the option of reopening the embassy since last year, specifically shortly after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. This step has been placed as a top priority on the agenda of Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Türkiye and his special envoy to Syria.

Barak sought a deep rapprochement with Syria and its new leadership under the leadership of Ahmed Al-Sharaa, and called for the lifting of US sanctions and the reintegration of Syria into the regional and international communities.

Trump told reporters on Friday that Sharaa is “doing a tremendous job” as president.