WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders have been notified that the Trump administration plans to move forward with preparations to potentially reopen America’s embassy in Damascus, Syria, after a 14-year closure that began during the nation’s civil conflict in 2012.
According to documentation received by The Associated Press, lawmakers were informed earlier this month about the State Department’s plan to “implement a phased approach to potentially resume embassy operations in Syria” through a notice sent to congressional committees.
The February 10 communication indicated that funding for these preparations would commence within 15 days, beginning next week, though no specific timeline was provided for completion or the return of American diplomatic staff to Damascus on a permanent basis.
Embassy reopening discussions have been ongoing since last year, gaining momentum after longtime ruler Bashar Assad was removed from power in December 2024. The initiative has received strong support from President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Turkey and Syria special envoy, Tom Barrack.
Barrack has championed extensive diplomatic reconciliation with Syria’s new government led by former opposition leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, successfully promoting the removal of American sanctions and Syria’s return to regional and global diplomatic circles.
Speaking to media on Friday, Trump praised al-Sharaa’s leadership performance. “He’s doing a phenomenal job,” Trump stated. “He’s a rough guy. He’s not a choir boy. A choir boy couldn’t do it. But Syria’s coming together.”
During a Damascus visit last May, Barrack ceremonially raised the American flag at the embassy location, though formal operations had not yet resumed.
On the same date as the congressional notification, Barrack celebrated Syria’s decision to join the coalition fighting Islamic State militants, despite ongoing U.S. military withdrawal from a strategically important southeastern base and continuing tensions with Kurdish populations.
“Regional solutions, shared responsibility. Syria’s participation in the D-ISIS Coalition meeting in Riyadh marks a new chapter in collective security,” Barrack commented.
State Department officials declined to provide specific details about the classified embassy reopening strategy beyond acknowledging the congressional notification was delivered.
The department has employed comparable “phased” methodology for plans to reestablish the American Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, following military action that removed former President Nicolás Maduro in January, utilizing temporary personnel operating from provisional locations.
