“Associated Press”: Trump Administration Notifies Congress of Plans to Reopen U.S. Embassy in Damascus

Middle East News Network: The Associated Press reported on Friday that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has informed Congress of its intention to plan for the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, which was closed in 2012 during the war.
According to the agency, a notification was sent earlier this month to congressional committees, informing lawmakers of the State Department’s intention to implement a gradual approach to resuming embassy operations in Syria.
The notification, dated February 10, stated that spending on the plans would begin within 15 days—or as early as next week—although no specific timeline has been set for completion or for the permanent return of American personnel to Damascus.
The administration has been considering reopening the embassy since last year, following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The move was reportedly a priority for Trump’s ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack.
Barrack has sought to achieve deeper rapprochement with Syria and its new leadership under Ahmad al-Sharaa, successfully working toward lifting U.S. sanctions and reintegrating Syria into regional and international communities.
Last May, Barrack visited Damascus and raised the American flag at the embassy compound, although the embassy has not yet officially reopened.
On the same day the notification was sent to Congress, Barrack praised Syria’s decision to participate in the coalition against ISIS, even as U.S. forces withdrew from a small but strategically significant base in southeastern Syria, amid ongoing issues between the government and the Kurdish minority.
Plans to reopen the embassy are classified, and the State Department declined to comment on the details beyond confirming that the notification had been sent to Congress.
However, the department has followed a similar “phased” approach in its plans to reopen the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, after the U.S. military operation that ousted former President Nicolás Maduro in January. This approach involved deploying temporary staff to live and work in provisional facilities.
Source: AP