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The Elysee Palace stated that Macron did not hear the blasts on his way to the meeting and that his landmark visit to Syria would continue as planned before he travels to Turkey for the Nato summit. A security source told the BBC the explosions were caused by two devices with Reuters reporting that four people were wounded in the incident near the Four Seasons hotel. Syrian state television confirmed that al-Sharaa had welcomed the French president to the palace shortly after the detonations occurred on a major thoroughfare.
French officials said Macron had entered the palace prior to the blasts which took place approximately 125 metres from the hotel where he had been expected to stay according to analysis by BBC Verify of video footage showing smoke and flames. The French leader arrived in Damascus the previous evening becoming the first Western head of state to visit Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024 France 24 reported. His delegation included representatives of French companies and investors for discussions on strengthening bilateral ties.
The security situation across post-Assad Syria has remained fragile with a June 2026 United Nations Security Council forecast highlighting persistent terrorism threats and the presence of foreign fighters in various regions. A Crisis Group assessment from November 2025 noted that the interim government had moved quickly to establish order in Damascus but struggled to secure the entire country after dismantling much of the former regime’s apparatus. Such challenges have been compounded by intercommunal tensions and external interference according to the same report.
Just days before Macron’s arrival a bomb blast at a crowded cafe in central Damascus killed at least 10 people and injured 22 others according to Syrian state media. In May 2026 a car bomb exploded near a defence ministry building in the capital killing one soldier and wounding 23 according to Al Jazeera while the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for assassinating a Shia cleric in another Damascus district. These incidents illustrate the ongoing difficulties for Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration in consolidating control and countering resurgent militant activity.
Macron had previously hosted al-Sharaa in Paris in May 2025 where he urged protection of rights for all communities in the multi-confessional country Euronews reported at the time. The French president has also supported steps toward easing sanctions on Syria following the regime change according to accounts from those earlier meetings. The current visit represents an effort to build on those diplomatic openings amid Syria’s transition.
Syrian forces have conducted raids against militants in areas such as Idlib in recent months as part of broader counter-terrorism operations a Reuters dispatch from May 2026 detailed. The interim government has tightened army recruitment procedures to improve security capabilities the Crisis Group assessment found. Despite these measures multiple attacks in the capital this year have tested the authorities’ ability to safeguard public spaces and high-profile events.
