Bomb attacks in Damascus during Macron’s visit injure 18

BEIRUT — Two bombs exploded Tuesday morning in Damascus near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron had spent the night, on the second day of his visit to Syria.

One of the bombs was placed in a rubbish bin and the other in a vehicle near the Four Seasons Hotel in central Damascus, a Syrian security source told AFP.

Macron was unharmed and his visit is continuing, the French presidency said. He had already left the hotel for the presidential palace, where he is currently meeting Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Witnesses saw smoke rising from the area. Ambulances with sirens blaring rushed to the scene as security forces deployed heavily in the country, which has been ravaged by more than a decade of civil war. AFP journalists saw windows of the Tourism Ministry, located opposite the luxury hotel, shattered by the blasts.

The explosions injured 18, including four police officers, in the explosions, according to Syria’s interior ministry.

'Gateway to the East'

During the visit, the first by a Western leader since the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the rise to power of an Islamist-led coalition in late 2024, Macron is expected to discuss the country’s reconstruction with his counterpart and reiterate his message on Syria’s “unity” and “pluralism.” After his meeting at the presidential palace, the French leader is due to attend an “economic forum dedicated to Syria’s reconstruction and strategic corridors.”

After more than 13 years of civil war that isolated it internationally, Syria hopes to “reposition itself as a gateway to the East for the European Union,” said Arthur Quesnay, a researcher affiliated with Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne University. The goal is to offer alternative maritime, land and connectivity routes toward Iraq and the Gulf.

Macron is accompanied by several French business leaders, including CMA CGM chief Rodolph Saade and TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné. Agreements are expected to be signed, although investors remain cautious.

In an interview with French channel BFMTV on Monday, Sharaa highlighted “the huge investment opportunities” in his country. France will take part in rebuilding infrastructure in sectors including tourism, agriculture and industry, he said, adding that Damascus is preparing to order eight aircraft from European manufacturer Airbus.

Umayyad Mosque

During a joint press conference with the Syrian transitional leader, Macron is expected to reiterate “France’s commitment to the Syrian people” and to “a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbours,” as he wrote on X upon arriving Monday evening. He is also expected to stress the need to “respect” neighbouring Lebanon and call for Israel’s non-interference in Syria.

After landing, Macron appeared in an informal setting with Sharaa, dining at a restaurant in old Damascus before the two men, both wearing shirt sleeves, visited the famous Umayyad Mosque.

Macron was already the first Western leader to welcome Sharaa in May 2025, when he took the gamble of supporting Syria’s transition by receiving the former jihadist at the Élysée Palace. The move drew criticism from right-wing and far-right opponents in France, a country still scarred by the 2015 jihadist attacks orchestrated from Syria.

The Paris visit was followed by an even more strategic trip by the Syrian leader to Washington to meet Donald Trump, as well as the lifting of European and U.S. sanctions on Syria.

While the Elysee has framed the Damascus trip as part of France’s support for the Syrian revolution, Macron is expected to stress the need for the peaceful integration of Kurds into the Syrian state. The Kurdish forces fought alongside Western allies against the Islamic State group. He is also expected to call for the protection of minorities. President Sharaa has pledged to do so, but the country witnessed massacres of Alawites in March 2025 and deadly clashes with Druze fighters a year ago.

The French president will travel to Ankara on Tuesday evening for the NATO summit, where he is due to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, with Syria likely to be discussed. In the Turkish capital, the Syrian president is also expected to meet Donald Trump.