Concluding a two-day visit to Damascus on Sunday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for the full and immediate removal of all sanctions imposed on Syria, after meeting President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani. The demand represents a significant escalation of diplomatic pressure following his arrival on Saturday — the first visit by a serving UN chief in 17 years.
Humanitarian concerns are reshaping Syria's landscape in the post-Assad era. Approximately 1.7 million refugees have returned since the former president's overthrow, though 5.5 million remain internally displaced and 6 million continue to live abroad. The World Bank estimates post-war reconstruction will require more than $216 billion.
Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported Israeli forces conducted an incursion and artillery shelling in the country's south, adding further complexity to the fragile recovery.