U.S. flag raised in Damascus for the first time in years

DAMASCUS,— The new U.S. envoy to Syria said on Thursday that a peace agreement between Syria and Israel is within reach, during his first official visit to the Syrian capital since American diplomatic operations ceased in 2012.

Thomas Barrack, appointed last week as Washington’s representative to Damascus, formally reopened the U.S. ambassador’s residence, raising the American flag in a symbolic moment marking renewed diplomatic contact.

The visit comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s announcement lifting sanctions against Syria and meeting with Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Barrack told reporters in Damascus that both sides could move toward peaceful coexistence, beginning with a non-aggression pact. “This isn’t an impossible conflict to resolve,” he said. “Start with defined borders, open lines of communication.”

According to Barrack, Syria will no longer be listed as a sponsor of terrorism by the U.S., following the collapse of the Assad regime. Congress, however, must complete a six-month legislative review before the policy shift is official.

“The president believes in letting this new leadership find its own way,” said Barrack. “No pressure, no conditions, no cultural interference. Just space to govern.”

Interim leader Sharaa — formerly aligned with al Qaeda — assumed power following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December. He has since been distancing the country from its historic alliances with Iran and Russia.

Syria’s Golan Heights region has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 conflict. Israeli forces expanded their presence in the disputed border zone after Assad’s fall, citing security concerns due to the new government’s Islamist roots.

According to diplomatic sources, Syrian and Israeli representatives have recently held direct talks aimed at reducing tension and avoiding military escalation along the shared frontier.

Trump reportedly encouraged Sharaa to begin normalization efforts with Israel during their recent meeting in Riyadh.

Barrack, who also serves as the American envoy to Turkey, was officially named U.S. ambassador to Syria on May 23.

He noted that American sanctions on Syria date back to 1979, with more restrictive measures introduced in 2020 under the Caesar Act. That legislation, Barrack said, must now be repealed by Congress within a 180-day timeframe.

“No one is more eager to see those sanctions gone than President Trump,” he said.

The U.S. embassy in Damascus shut down in February 2012, less than a year after nationwide protests against Assad sparked a prolonged civil conflict. At the time, Ambassador Robert Ford left the post, and U.S. engagement shifted abroad.

The war, lasting more than 14 years, killed hundreds of thousands and forced millions to flee. Assad retained control with support from Tehran and Moscow until his government fell last year.

Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, was previously involved with both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State before establishing the al-Nusra Front, a jihadist faction initially affiliated with al-Qaeda.

The group later distanced itself from its parent organization and rebranded as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

(With files from Reuters)