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View all search resultsMacron safe, continuing visit after Damascus blast
Macron had left the hotel when the explosions took place, and is currently in the Syrian presidential palace for a meeting with his counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa and their respective delegations, followed by a one-on-one meeting with Sharaa, according to the French presidency.
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France's President Emmanuel Macron (right) shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Charaa during a visit to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, on July 6, 2026. (AFP/Ludovic Marin)
F
rench President Emmanuel Macron is safe, the Elysee palace said on Tuesday following blasts near the Damascus hotel where he spent the night, and will pursue his visit as normal.
Macron had left the hotel when the explosions took place, and is currently in the Syrian presidential palace for a meeting with his counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa and their respective delegations, followed by a one-on-one meeting with Sharaa, according to the French presidency.
The blasts underscore the major security challenges in Syria, where Macron is the first head of state of a European Union country to visit since rebels led by Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
A Reuters witness heard explosions in the vicinity and saw smoke rising. Roads were sealed off and security measures were implemented, the security source said.
The Elysee said the blasts were not audible from the presidential motorcade and a Reuters journalist with the press group accompanying Macron did not hear the blast or see any commotion during the French president's morning events.
State television later reported that Macron and Sharaa had met at the Syrian Presidential Palace.
Macron's visit has highlighted Syria's geopolitical transformation under Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who has established close ties with Western and Middle Eastern powers that shunned Assad, as he seeks to rebuild a country shattered by 13 years of war.
During the Syrian conflict, a range of militant groups including Islamic State gained a foothold in the country.
