Damascus Blasts Hit Near Macron Hotel During Syria Visit

Explosions struck central Damascus near the hotel tied to French President Emmanuel Macron during his Syria visit, shortly after he entered the presidential palace to meet President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Syrian media placed the blasts near the Four Seasons Hotel, while security-source accounts described explosive devices near the hotel where Macron was staying. Early reports cited smoke, tightened security and road closures, and did not identify a responsible actor or final casualty figure. The incident followed a deadly Damascus cafe bombing days earlier and exposed the security fragility around Syria's post-Assad diplomacy, on a front adjacent to Israel's Golan border.