Two explosions shook central Damascus on Tuesday near the Four Seasons hotel, where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during a high-stakes state visit to Syria.
Syrian officials said 18 people were injured, including four police officers, after improvised explosive devices went off close to the downtown hotel. However, French officials said Macron was not inside the building when the blasts happened and did not hear them.
Blasts Hit Near Four Seasons Hotel In Damascus
Syrian state media reported that the bombs were planted inside a car and a garbage can near the hotel. The explosions came as Macron continued his visit with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose rise to power has already drawn intense global attention.
According to Syria’s interior ministry, security forces had already found the devices before they exploded, “while preparations for the disposal operation were underway.”
The timing was explosive in every sense. Macron’s trip marked the first Syrian state visit by a Western leader since al-Sharaa took office in 2025 after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
Macron Continues Visit Despite Security Scare
Despite the chaos nearby, Macron pushed ahead with his schedule. A spokesman for Élysée Palace said the French president was away from the hotel at the time and remained focused on his meetings.
Shortly after the explosions, Macron addressed his visit in a statement on X.
“Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria. This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage, and determination. My visit continues,” he wrote.
The message was pointed. Still, the blast raised immediate questions about security in Damascus, especially during a visit loaded with diplomatic symbolism.
Syria Says Macron Was Not Directly Threatened
Syria’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed the explosions but said the blast site sat outside the official security zone created for Macron’s stay.
“We confirm that the explosion site is outside the security perimeter designated for the French president’s residence. It posed no direct threat to the residence or the official visit program, which is proceeding as planned,” the ministry announced through SANA.
Meanwhile, emergency vehicles moved through the area as officials worked to secure the scene. The government did not immediately identify who planted the devices.
Al-Sharaa’s Western Outreach Faces New Scrutiny
Macron’s meeting with al-Sharaa is politically sensitive. The Syrian president has faced criticism from those who argue Western leaders are moving too quickly to normalize relations with him, given his past as a fighter for the al Qaeda terrorist group.
President Donald Trump also hosted al-Sharaa at the White House in November 2025, a meeting that drew similar criticism from opponents of renewed engagement with Damascus.
Now, Tuesday’s explosions have added another layer of tension. They were the second and third major blasts reported in Damascus in less than a week, underscoring the fragile security landscape around Syria’s new leadership.
For Macron, the trip was meant to signal diplomatic engagement. Instead, it also delivered a blunt reminder that Syria’s post-Assad era remains volatile, dangerous, and far from settled.
