Macron Arrives in Damascus for First Western Post-Assad Visit

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday, turning the earlier expected trip into the first visit by a major Western leader to Syria since Bashar Assad was ousted in 2024. Reports say Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani received Macron at Damascus International Airport before talks with President Ahmad al-Sharaa on regional security, reconstruction and investment. Macron said France backs a sovereign, plural Syria at peace with its neighbors. For Israel, the visit matters because any Western rehabilitation of Damascus must be tested against southern-Syria stability, Hezbollah pressure and Syrian action that keeps Iranian-backed threats away from the Golan and northern communities.