{"id":1813,"date":"2026-07-08T15:51:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T15:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/2026\/07\/08\/why-the-damascus-blasts-during-macrons-visit-are-a-blow-to-al-sharaa\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T15:51:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T15:51:18","slug":"why-the-damascus-blasts-during-macrons-visit-are-a-blow-to-al-sharaa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=1813","title":{"rendered":"Why the Damascus blasts during Macron\u2019s visit are a blow to al-Sharaa"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--banner-top o-ad-container--with-shimmer o-ad-container--with-background\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-type=\"sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-status=\"disabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring__wrapper\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content t-content--article\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-sidebar\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Why the Damascus blasts during Macron\u2019s visit are a blow to al-Sharaa<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-cartouche\">Analysis<\/div>\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        The twin blasts that rocked Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s visit to Syria this week underscore the fragility of President Ahmed al-Sharaa\u2019s authority and the security challenges he faces. They also undermine the message of stability that Damascus is striving to convey to the international community.                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-07-08T15:03:42+00:00\">08\/07\/2026 &#8211; 17:03<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    6 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/marc-daou\/\" title=\"Marc DAOU\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Marc DAOU<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/00c64874-7a1e-11f1-b91e-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/AP26188421553717.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/00c64874-7a1e-11f1-b91e-005056a90284\/w:388\/p:16x9\/AP26188421553717.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/00c64874-7a1e-11f1-b91e-005056a90284\/w:720\/p:16x9\/AP26188421553717.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/00c64874-7a1e-11f1-b91e-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/AP26188421553717.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"Syrian security personnel inspect a burned vehicle after two explosions rocked the area earlier while Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met French President Emmanuel Macron.\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                Syrian security personnel inspect a burned vehicle near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus, July 7, 2026.         \u00a9 Omar Albam, AFP    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>It was a historic visit, the first by a Western head of state, signalling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/syria\/\" target=\"_self\">Syria<\/a>\u2019s emerging integration into the international stage after the isolation, sanctions and brutal violence of the Assad era. But the morning after President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/emmanuel-macron\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Emmanuel Macron<\/a> landed in Damascus, two homemade <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260707-explosions-heard-in-damascus-during-french-president-macron-s-visit\" target=\"_self\">bombs exploded near the Four Seasons Hotel<\/a> where the French delegation had spent the night.<\/p>\n<p>The twin blasts, which injured 18 people, including four Syrian police officers, were a stark reminder of the security challenges confronting President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/abu-mohammed-al-jolani\/\" target=\"_self\">Ahmed al-Sharaa<\/a> more than a year after his forces ousted former strongman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/bashar-al-assad\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Bashar al-Assad<\/a> in December 2024.<\/p>\n<p>No group has taken responsibility for the explosions. Syria\u2019s interior ministry said one bomb was placed inside a car parked on the side of a road and the second was planted in a garbage bin. It said they exploded \u201cwhile preparations were underway\u201d to dismantle them. \u201cThese acts of sabotage carried out today&#8230; were intended to undermine the French president\u2019s visit,\u201d said Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab, who visited the scene.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after the news broke, Macron said his visit \u201ccontinues\u201d and asserted that \u201cnothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria\u201d in a post on X.<\/p>\n<div class=\"m-em-image\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--original m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c1730fee-7ad7-11f1-b8d4-005056bfb2b6\/w:980\/macron-syria-continue.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c1730fee-7ad7-11f1-b8d4-005056bfb2b6\/w:246\/macron-syria-continue.jpg 246w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c1730fee-7ad7-11f1-b8d4-005056bfb2b6\/w:388\/macron-syria-continue.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c1730fee-7ad7-11f1-b8d4-005056bfb2b6\/w:720\/macron-syria-continue.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c1730fee-7ad7-11f1-b8d4-005056bfb2b6\/w:980\/macron-syria-continue.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1023px) calc(100vw - 32px), (min-width: 1024px) 850px\" alt=\"French President Emmanuel Macron on July 7, 2026, said his Syrian visit would continue despite twin blasts in Damascus\" style=\"max-height:353px\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                French President Emmanuel Macron on July 7, 2026, said his Syrian visit would continue despite twin blasts in Damascus.        \u00a9 @EmmanuelMacron, X    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>At a joint press conference later Tuesday, Sharaa hailed Macron\u2019s \u201ccourage\u201d for carrying on with his visit despite the bombings.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018A serious security setback\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Macron had arrived in Damascus with a business delegation that included heads of some of France\u2019s major corporations in a bid to spotlight Syria\u2019s trade, economic and development issues, including post-conflict reconstruction.<\/p>\n<div class=\"m-em-image\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--original m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/98c6557e-7a1e-11f1-a80d-005056a97e36\/w:980\/2026-07-07T131845Z-699561718-RC219MA2S1OS-RTRMADP-3-SYRIA-POLITICS-FRANCE.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/98c6557e-7a1e-11f1-a80d-005056a97e36\/w:246\/2026-07-07T131845Z-699561718-RC219MA2S1OS-RTRMADP-3-SYRIA-POLITICS-FRANCE.jpg 246w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/98c6557e-7a1e-11f1-a80d-005056a97e36\/w:388\/2026-07-07T131845Z-699561718-RC219MA2S1OS-RTRMADP-3-SYRIA-POLITICS-FRANCE.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/98c6557e-7a1e-11f1-a80d-005056a97e36\/w:720\/2026-07-07T131845Z-699561718-RC219MA2S1OS-RTRMADP-3-SYRIA-POLITICS-FRANCE.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/98c6557e-7a1e-11f1-a80d-005056a97e36\/w:980\/2026-07-07T131845Z-699561718-RC219MA2S1OS-RTRMADP-3-SYRIA-POLITICS-FRANCE.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1023px) calc(100vw - 32px), (min-width: 1024px) 850px\" alt=\"France's President Emmanuel Macron and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa shake hands on the day they meet in Damascus, Syria, July 7, 2026.\" style=\"max-height:567px\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                France&#8217;s President Emmanuel Macron meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria, July 7, 2026.        \u00a9 Mahmoud Hassano, Reuters    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But the bombings represented \u201ca serious security setback\u201d for the Syrian president, according to Adel Bakawan, director of the European Institute for Middle East and North African Studies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAhmed al-Sharaa is striving to convince the world that Syria has once again become relatively stable and safe, and that its main challenge is now economic development, in order to persuade Western companies that they can invest there,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut these two explosions in Damascus send exactly the opposite message, serving as a reminder that Syria is neither secure nor stable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday\u2019s bombings came days after an improvised explosive device struck a caf\u00e9 near the Palace of Justice in the al-Hijaz area in the heart of Damascus on July 2, killing 10 people and wounding more than 20. It was the deadliest attack in the capital after a June 22 suicide attack in a Greek Orthodox church killed 25 people. A few days later, a little-known Sunni militant group, the Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, claimed responsibility for the church attack. The Syrian interior ministry said the Islamic State (IS) group was responsible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a-read-more\"><span class=\"a-read-more__label\">Read more<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260702-bomb-blast-in-central-damascus-cafe-kills-several\" target=\"_self\" class=\"a-read-more__link\">Bomb blast in central Damascus cafe kills several<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Since February, the IS group has claimed responsibility for several attacks against Syrian security forces, presenting them as the start of a \u201cnew phase\u201d in its campaign against the Sharaa government.<\/p>\n<p>Syrian authorities say the attacks are a deliberate attempt to undermine the stabilisation efforts undertaken by Sharaa. \u201cEvery time the country experiences a period of stability, malicious parties attempt to destabilise it,\u201d said Damascus Governor Maher Edelbi during his visit to the caf\u00e9 targeted in the attack.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Malicious parties\u2019 seeking to destabilise Syria<\/h2>\n<p>Bringing stability to a country emerging from decades of brutal dictatorship and war is not an easy task and there are several \u201cmalicious parties\u201d seeking to destabilise Syria, according to Bakawan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first, and by far the most credible, is that this is the work of the Islamic State,\u201d he said. The attack during Macron\u2019s visit was \u201cneither the first nor the last attack of this kind. Certainly, the international coalition has defeated the Islamic State territorially. But an Islamic State stripped of its territory remains nonetheless extremely dangerous\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The IS group \u201cgenerally claims responsibility for this type of operation, either explicitly or implicitly\u201d, said Syrian journalist Bassam Safar. \u201cBut we must not rule out the existence of other Islamist factions, distinct from IS group. Some might even be present within the structures of power,\u201d he added, referring to Sharaa\u2019s former jihadist comrades within Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formally disbanded a month after Assad\u2019s ouster with several factions declaring they would join Syrian state institutions. But some fighters are hostile to Sharaa\u2019s shift from rebel leader to head of state and to Syria\u2019s diplomatic rapprochement with the US, Russia \u2013 a former ally of the Assad regime \u2013 as well as with Western powers, notably France.<\/p>\n<p>The second hypothesis put forward by Bakawan \u201cconcerns the Lebanese <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/hezbollah\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Hezbollah<\/a>\u201d, the Shiite militant movement that supported Assad during the war, and \u201cmore broadly, pro-Iranian networks, which have never completely relinquished their influence in Syria\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Bakawan noted that, \u201cJust a week ago, Iran\u2019s deputy foreign minister [Kazem Gharibabadi], directly threatened France over its involvement in securing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/strait-of-hormuz\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>.\u201d Gharibabadi\u2019s warning against \u201cany foreign military deployments\u201d in Hormuz came after France and Britain announced plans to lead an international maritime security effort aimed at restoring safe commercial navigation in a vital waterway that has been effectively blocked since the US and Israel launched the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/iran-conflict\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Iran war<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Remnants\u2019 of the Assad regime<\/h2>\n<p>The Syrian civil war, which lasted more than a decade, drew in regional powers, notably Iran, with its proxy Hezbollah backing the Assad regime. They continue to pose a security threat, according to Safar. \u201cExternal actors \u2013 notably the remnants of militias that cooperated with the Iranian regime and Hezbollah and remain present in Damascus \u2013 have a real interest in derailing the process initiated by the new authorities, undermining their legitimacy, and jeopardising this official visit,\u201d he said, referring to Macron\u2019s visit. \u201cTheir goal is to convince the international community that this government is incapable of enduring, consolidating its power, and defending the interests of Syrians,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the ousted Assad regime pose another security threat. \u201cThese networks \u2013 what are known as the remnants of the former regime \u2013 still maintain contacts and a social base, particularly in Damascus,\u201d noted Bakawan.<\/p>\n<p>Dubbed <em>foulouls<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 a pejorative term referring to the \u201cremnants\u201d \u2013 these former regime loyalists have \u201ca clear interest in undermining the French president\u2019s visit, just as they do in destabilising the new Syrian authorities,\u201d said Safar.<\/p>\n<p>Following the July 2 attack on a Damascus caf\u00e9 frequented by lawyers and located near the courthouse where former Baathist officers and Assad associates have been on trial, some analysts pointed to the old regime loyalists opposed to Syria\u2019s transition.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to these security threats, the March 2025 massacre of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/alawite\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Alawites<\/a>, a minority group to which the Assad family belongs, in the western coastal region, followed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/video\/20250717-new-ceasefire-holds-in-syria-s-sweida\" target=\"_self\">clashes with Druze fighters in the south of the country<\/a>\u00a0have highlighted the government\u2019s difficulties in controlling the entire territory. All of this underscores just how uncertain the prospect of a durably stabilised Syria remains.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>This article was translated from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/fr\/moyen-orient\/20260707-attentats-damas-visite-de-macron-syrie-charaa-ei-piste\" target=\"_self\">original in French<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/syria\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Syria\">    Syria<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/emmanuel-macron\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Emmanuel Macron\">    Emmanuel Macron<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/abu-mohammed-al-jolani\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu\u00a0Mohammed al-Jolani)\">    Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu\u00a0Mohammed al-Jolani)<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/attacks\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"attack\">    attack<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/islamic-state-is-group\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Islamic State (IS) group\">    Islamic State (IS) group<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/features\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Features\">    Features<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advertising Why the Damascus blasts during Macron\u2019s visit are a blow to al-Sharaa Analysis Middle&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}