DAMASCUS: France raised its flag at its Damascus embassy on Tuesday for the first time in 12 years and European Union officials prepared to engage with the new Syrian leadership, a sign of the growing contacts after Bashar Assad was ousted as president.
Western states are gradually opening channels to the new authorities in Damascus led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and its leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, though they continue to designate the group as terrorists.
As well as France and Britain, which sent a team to meet Sharaa on Monday, Germany is also planning meetings with the new administration and the European Union said on Tuesday it will also establish contacts.
Nine days after Assad was ousted, the new prime minister installed by Sharaa’s Islamist HTS group said the government was grappling with very low currency reserves and called for sanctions imposed on the ousted government to be lifted.
Sharaa’s group was part of Al-Qaeda until he broke ties in 2016. It had been confined to a northwest corner of Syria for years until this month when the army melted away as it swept into Damascus.
France said its raising of the flag did not automatically mean it would reopen its embassy.
During his meeting with British officials, Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, called for countries to restore ties and lift sanctions on Syria to help refugees return home, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported.
SANA released photos of Sharaa sitting in a suit with an open shirt during the meeting with the British. Sharaa “spoke about the need to build a state of law and institutions, and establishing security,” SANA reported. “He also spoke about Britain’s important role internationally.”
Assad’s fall, a blow to Syria’s longstanding Russian and Iranian allies, could potentially open the way for Western states to reopen contacts with Damascus. But for now at least, that requires manoeuvring around both the terrorism designation imposed on HTS during its days as an Al-Qaeda affiliate and financial sanctions imposed on Damascus under Assad.
German diplomats are also planning talks with representatives of HTS in Damascus on Tuesday, the German foreign ministry said. A German foreign ministry spokesperson said the talks would focus on a transitional process for Syria and the protection of minorities.
“The possibilities of a diplomatic presence in Damascus are also being explored there,” the spokesperson added in a statement, reiterating that Berlin was monitoring HTS closely in light of its roots in Al-Qaeda ideology.
“As far as one can tell, they have acted prudently so far,” the spokesperson said.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose country was the biggest backer of rebels during the civil war, said an inclusive administration was now needed in Damascus and called on the European Union to support the return of refugees.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher, the newly installed Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Bashir said the defense ministry would be restructured using former rebel factions and officers who defected from Assad’s army.
Syria has many ethnic and sectarian minority groups, some of whom have worried about how they might be treated under the rule of groups such as HTS with roots in Sunni Islamist militancy.
Asked what he would say to those worried about a single religious or political group dominating Syria, Bashir said: “Those who are afraid...of a religion trend or anything else don’t truly understand Islam, the forgiveness of Islam, the justice of Islam.”
“Syria is for all Syrians,” he said. “Everyone is a partner for us building the Syria of the future.”
Bashir, who formerly led an HTS-affiliated government in Idlib province, has said he will remain in office until March.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday the European Union should be ready to ease sanctions on Syria if the country’s new leadership takes “positive steps” to establish an inclusive government and respect women’s and minority rights.
UN humanitarian coordinator Tom Fletcher said he had also met Sharaa, posting on social media: “we have basis for ambitious scaling up of vital humanitarian support” for Syria.
The Syrian conflict, which spiralled out of a 2011 uprising against Assad’s repressive rule, drove millions of Syrians abroad as refugees, including around 1 million who went to Germany.
France returns flag to Damascus embassy as new Syria authorities build contacts with West
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France returns flag to Damascus embassy as new Syria authorities build contacts with West
- UK sends team to meet Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and its leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa
- German diplomats also plan talks with representatives of HTS in Damascus
Syria to import electricity from Turkiye, rehabilitate Kilis-Aleppo natural gas pipeline
- Energy Minister discussed with the Turkish side the possibility of mining Syria’s earth minerals
- Government developing new 80-megawatt transmission line between Turkiye’s Reyhanli district and Syria’s Harem region
LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic will import electricity from Turkiye and rehabilitate a natural gas pipeline connecting two border regions, the country’s energy minister said on Sunday.
Mohammed Al-Bashir stated that Damascus is finalizing an agreement to import electricity from Turkiye via a 400-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line that links the two countries.
Al-Bashir stated that the government is developing another 80-megawatt transmission line between Turkiye’s Reyhanli district and Syria’s Harem region to supply electricity to towns in northern Syria.
“Additionally, we are working to rehabilitate the natural gas pipeline connecting Kilis and Aleppo,” two cities in southern Turkiye and northern Syria, the minister added.
“Once operational, (the pipeline) could supply 6 million cubic meters of gas per day to Syria’s power generation stations, significantly improving our energy situation,” he added in a statement to the SANA news agency.
The minister said he discussed with the Turkish side the possibility of mining Syria’s mineral deposits, such as phosphate and lithium, and the prospect of exploring natural gas in the country’s national waters. He urged Turkish companies to invest in exploring Syria’s oil and natural gas potential, upgrading power lines and plants, and rebuilding refineries and transportation systems.
Israel vows retaliation against Iran, Yemen’s Houthis over airport attack
- It is the first time a missile has directly struck inside Israel's main airport, according to a military spokesperson
- Netanyahu said Israel would also respond to Iran at 'a time and place of our choosing'
TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed a response to Yemen’s Houthis and their Iranian backers after the militant group struck the area of Israel’s main airport, wounding six people and prompting several major airlines to suspend flights.
The strike came hours before Israel’s army confirmed the call-up of “tens of thousands” of reservists to expand the 19-month war in Gaza against Palestinian militants Hamas.
The military confirmed that the attack, which gouged a large crater in the perimeter of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, was launched from Yemen and had struck despite “several attempts... to intercept the missile.”
In a video published on Telegram, Netanyahu said Israel had “acted against” the Iran-backed group in the past and “will act in the future.”
“It will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs,” he added, without going into further detail.
Later on X, Netanyahu said Israel would also respond to Iran at “a time and place of our choosing.”
A police video showed officers standing on the edge of a deep hole in the ground with the control tower visible behind them. No damage was reported to airport infrastructure.
The police reported a “missile impact” at Israel’s main international gateway.
An AFP photographer said the missile hit near the parking lots of Terminal 3, the airport’s largest. The crater was just hundreds of meters from the tarmac.
Missile inside the airport
“You can see the area just behind us: a crater was formed here, several dozen meters wide and several dozen meters deep,” central Israel’s police chief, Yair Hezroni, said in the video.
“This is the first time” that a missile has directly struck inside the airport perimeter, an Israeli military spokesperson told AFP.
Earlier, the Houthis, who say they act in support of Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group said their forces “carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion airport” with a “hypersonic ballistic missile.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened a forceful response, saying: “Anyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times stronger.”
Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad later hailed the attack on the airport.
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said it had treated at least six people with light to moderate injuries.
An AFP journalist inside the airport at the time of the attack said he heard a “loud bang” at around 9:35 am local time, adding that the “reverberation was very strong.”
“Security staff immediately asked hundreds of passengers to take shelter, some in bunkers,” the AFP journalist said.
“Many passengers are now waiting for their flights to take off, and others are trying to find alternative flights.”
An incoming Air India flight was diverted to Abu Dhabi, an airport official told AFP.
It was one of the airlines to suspend Tel Aviv flights until Tuesday along with Italy’s ITA Airways and Germany’s Lufthansa Group, which includes Austrian, Eurowings and SWISS. Air France announced the cancelation of Sunday flights.
The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, have launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war.
Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid a deadlock over how to proceed with a two-month ceasefire that had largely stopped the war.
Jordan’s tourism sector surges in first quarter of year with 19% rise in visitors, 8.9% revenue boost
- The surge was fueled by a 19 percent year-on-year rise in international arrivals
- Enhanced air connectivity, targeted international marketing campaigns and Continued investment in infrastructure reasons given for rise
AMMAN: Jordan’s tourism sector has kicked off 2025 strongly, registering growth in both visitor numbers and revenue, a Jordan News Agency report said on Sunday.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, tourism revenue reached 1.217 billion dinars ($1.72 billion) in the first quarter of the year, which equated to an 8.9 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
The surge was fueled by a 19 percent year-on-year rise in international arrivals, which reached 2.125 million between January and April.
Overnight visitors increased by 15.3 percent to 1.765 million, while the number of same-day visitors soared by 41.6 percent to 360,000 compared to early 2024.
April alone saw international arrivals jump by 36.7 percent to 617,000, suggesting that the strong momentum is likely to carry into the second quarter.
Ministry officials attributed the growth to several strategic initiatives.
Enhanced air connectivity, including new direct flights and expanded budget airline operations, has significantly improved access to Jordan, they said.
Meanwhile, targeted international marketing campaigns have successfully spotlighted the kingdom’s diverse tourism offerings, from heritage sites and desert landscapes to adventure and wellness experiences.
Continued investment in infrastructure has also played a role, they said, which has improved the visitor experience and enhanced the country’s overall competitiveness in the global travel market.
Beyond direct economic impact, tourism’s strong performance is boosting Jordan’s foreign currency reserves and generating employment across the hospitality and service sectors, JNA said.
Looking ahead, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to a national tourism strategy grounded in sustainable development.
Its goals include increasing tourism’s contribution to GDP, creating long-term job opportunities, and solidifying Jordan’s position as a premier global destination by promoting its rich historical, cultural, and natural assets.
Flights again halted to Israel after Houthi missile lands near airport
- Many foreign airlines subsequently suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv after the missile hit
- Claiming responsibility for the strike, Houthis’ military spokesperson said Israel’s main airport was “no longer safe for air travel”
JERUSALEM: European and US carriers canceled flights for the next several days after a missile fired by the Houthis on Sunday landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, the country’s main international travel gateway.
Many foreign airlines subsequently suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv after the missile hit, sending a plume of smoke into the air and causing panic among passengers in the terminal building.
Following a ceasefire deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas in January, foreign carriers had begun to resume flights to Israel after halting them for much of the last year and a half since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
That left flag carrier El Al Airlines — along with smaller rivals Arkia and Israir — with a near monopoly. El Al’s shares rose 7 percent, while Israir gained 4.1 percent in a flat broader Tel Aviv market on Sunday.
Delta Air Lines said it canceled Sunday’s flight from JFK in New York to Tel Aviv and the return flight from Tel Aviv on Monday. United canceled its twice daily flights between Tel Aviv and Newark while it monitors the situation.
Earlier, flights from Tel Aviv on Delta and United on Sunday morning departed about 90 minutes late.
Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels and Austrian, said it had halted flights to and from Tel Aviv through Tuesday due to the current situation.
ITA said it had canceled flights from Italy to Israel through Wednesday, while Air France canceled flights on Sunday, saying customers were transferred to flights on Monday. TUS flights to and from Cyprus were canceled through Monday, while Air India flights from New Delhi were halted on Sunday.
Ryanair suspended flights on Sunday but flights are still scheduled for Monday, according to the Israel Airports Authority. Wizz also halted flights.
“I’m afraid it’s going to be very difficult to go back to France because all European carriers, from what I see on the information (board), have canceled. Lufthansa have canceled, Swiss have canceled, Brussels (Airlines), so no connection is possible,” said Michael Sceemes, 56, whose Air France flight was canceled.
Aegean, flydubai and Ethiopian did not cancel flights.
El Al said it would reintroduce rescue flights to Israel from Larnaca and Athens for passengers stranded by foreign carriers at a cost of $99 and $149, respectively.
Udi Bar Oz, head of Ben Gurion Airport, said the airport was up and running less than 30 minutes after the missile hit a road nearby.
Claiming responsibility for the strike, the Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said Israel’s main airport was “no longer safe for air travel.”
The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, began targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping in late 2023, during the early days of the war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip.
US President Donald Trump in March ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis to deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond to the Houthis. “We attacked in the past, we will attack in the future ... There will be more blows,” he said.
Two held in Iran after deadly port explosion: state TV
- April 26 blast at a dock in the southern port of Shahid Rajaee killed at least 57 people and injured more than 1,000, officials said, revising down an earlier death toll
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities arrested two people including a government official in connection with a deadly explosion last month at the country’s main commercial port, state television reported on Sunday.
The April 26 blast at a dock in the southern port of Shahid Rajaee killed at least 57 people and injured more than 1,000, officials said, revising down an earlier death toll.
The judiciary on Sunday said the toll had been revised because “it was determined that some of the bodies considered separate were in fact one body,” adding that it could still change.
At the time of the blast, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni blamed “shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions and negligence.”
Shahid Rajaee is near Iran’s coastal city of Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes.
“A government manager and another from the private sector have been arrested,” state television said on Sunday, citing a report from the investigating committee.
The committee announced on Monday that “false declarations (of goods) were made in some cases.”
It said on Sunday that “suspects have been identified and the summoning process is underway,” without elaborating.
The New York Times has quoted a person with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters, as saying that what exploded was sodium perchlorate — a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles.
Iran’s defense ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik later told state television that “there has been no imported or exported cargo for military fuel or military use in the area.”
