Macron Keeps State Visit to Syria After Two Explosions Near His Hotel

Overview

• The explosions Tuesday struck near the Four Seasons hotel in central Damascus and injured 18 people, including four police officers, according to Syrian interior ministry statements reported by multiple outlets.
• French officials said President Emmanuel Macron was unharmed, did not hear the blasts, and went on to meet Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and continue his scheduled engagements.
• Syrian authorities report the attacks were caused by two improvised explosive devices, one hidden in a parked car and the other placed in a trash bin, and say security forces have sealed areas and launched searches for suspects.
• No group has claimed responsibility; officials and some local sources pointed to the Islamic State as a suspect but have not presented public proof linking it to the detonations.
• Macron traveled with a business delegation focused on reconstruction, and the incident highlights the tension between courting investment and the fragile security of Syria's post‑Assad political transition under Ahmed al-Sharaa.