Washington has yet to formally reopen its embassy in Syria, which closed in 2012 after protests the government of strongman President Bashar al-Assad was met with brutal crackdown, kickstarting the country’s civil war.
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An American flag was raised outside of the long-shuttered US ambassador’s residence in Damascus on Thursday, in a sign of growing ties between Washington and the new Syrian government.
The US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, who has also been appointed as special envoy to Syria, visited the capital, Damascus, to inaugurate the residence.
On his visit, Barrack met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and attended the signing of an agreement for a consortium of Qatari, Turkish and US companies for development of a 5,000-megawatt energy project to revitalise much of Syria's war-battered electricity grid.
A consortium led by Qatar’s UCC Concession Investments, along with Power International USA and Turkey’s Kalyon GES Enerji Yatirimlari and Cengiz Enerji, will develop four combined-cycle gas turbines with a total generating capacity estimated at approximately 4,000 megawatts and a 1,000-megawatt solar power plant.
“Once completed, these projects are expected to supply over 50% of the country's electricity needs,” said UCC in a statement
Washington hasn't formally reopened its embassy in Damascus, which closed in 2012 after protests against the government of ousted longtime President Bashar al-Assad, was met with a brutal crackdown, spiralling the country into civil war.
But despite the embassy’s doors remaining shuttered, Barrack’s visit and the raising of the US flag were a significant signal of warming relations between Damascus and Washington.
Washington was initially wary about Syria’s new leaders, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former leader of an Islamist insurgent group that the US still lists as a terrorist organisation. However, the Trump administration, encouraged by regional allies Saudi Arabia and Turkey, has in recent weeks shown increasing openness to embracing the new Syrian government.
Trump held a surprise meeting with al-Sharaa in Riyadh earlier this month, as he embarked on his first tour of the Middle East in his four-month-old second term. After the trip, the US begun to roll back decades of sanctions slapped on Syria under the al-Assad dynasty.
Speaking at the ceremony celebrating the signing of the energy deals, Barrack praised the “bold decision” to lift sanctions and said the move comes with “no conditions, no requirements."
There is only "one simple expectation and that expectation sits behind me, the alignment of these amazing countries,” he said, referring to the flags of the US, Qatar, Turkey and Syria behind him.
The US State Department posted a statement on X on Thursday attributed to Trump announcing Barrack's appointment as envoy to Syria.
“Tom understands there is great potential in working with Syria to stop Radicalism, improve Relations, and secure Peace in the Middle East. Together, we will Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” the statement said.
In response, Barrack praised Trump in a post on X for his “bold vision, empowering a historically rich region, long oppressed, to reclaim its destiny through self-determination.”