The American flag was raised outside the long-dormant U.S. ambassador’s residence in Damascus on Thursday, signaling a significant shift in relations between Washington and Syria’s new leadership.
Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Turkey and now appointed special envoy to Syria, arrived in Damascus for the symbolic ceremony, the first time the American flag has been raised there since 2012. Speaking to Al Arabiya, Barrack called the decades-old Syrian-Israeli conflict a “solvable problem” and floated the idea of a “non-aggression agreement” as a step toward regional stability.
This diplomatic thaw comes amid reports from Reuters that Israel and Syria have been engaged in direct talks including recent in-person meetings to reduce tensions along the border.
Though the U.S. has not officially reopened its embassy, the Trump administration, with backing from key regional allies Saudi Arabia and Turkey, has grown increasingly open to engaging with Damascus in recent weeks. President Trump met with al-Sharaa earlier this month in Riyadh, and the U.S. has begun scaling back longstanding sanctions.
