Blasts shake Syrian capital near French presidential delegation hotel

Explosions rocked the Syrian capital near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying on Tuesday, sending smoke billowing into the air and prompting officials to seal off roads. The blasts occurred during Macron's historic visit, the first by an EU head of state since rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Despite the explosions, the Elysée Palace confirmed that President Macron was unaware of the blasts and did not hear them from the presidential motorcade. A Reuters journalist traveling with the press delegation also reported no audible disturbances. The incident underscores the persistent security challenges in Syria, a nation undergoing a significant geopolitical transformation under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Shortly after the explosions, Macron met with President Sharaa at the Syrian Presidential Palace for scheduled talks. Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander, has forged closer ties with Western and Middle Eastern nations since taking power, aiming to rebuild a country devastated by thirteen years of war. During the conflict, various militant factions, including the Islamic State, established a strong presence across the nation.

President Sharaa, from Syria's Sunni Muslim majority, has pledged to create an inclusive political order after decades of Assad family rule. However, his leadership faces ongoing tests from sporadic violence between pro-government forces and minority groups, which resulted in hundreds of casualties last year.