Guterres arrives in Syria in first official visit by a UN chief in 17 years

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing Syria’s state news agency and Reuters, reported that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday, July 25, 2026, for the first official visit to Syria by a sitting UN chief in 17 years. He landed at Damascus International Airport and was received by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

The visit is expected to include meetings with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, al-Shaibani, other Syrian officials and civil society representatives. Al Jazeera noted that al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander, had been under UN Security Council sanctions until last year. Guterres is also expected to address Syria’s new parliament on Monday, though the UN has not released his full schedule.

The trip carries diplomatic weight because it is the first such UN visit since 2009, before Syria’s 14-year civil war. Al Jazeera described it as another step in al-Sharaa’s effort to restore international relations after taking power following the 2024 removal of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Guterres would emphasize Syria’s chance to recover from conflict and build a more stable, inclusive and prosperous future.

Guterres is also due to visit the UN Disengagement Observer Force in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, where peacekeepers monitor ceasefire commitments with Israel. The visit comes shortly after bombings near a Damascus hotel used by French President Emmanuel Macron during the first visit by an EU head of state since al-Assad’s ouster. Syrian authorities said suspects linked to ISIL were arrested.