U.S. congressmen visit Syria in first trip since Assad's ouster

19/4/2025 6:22

Two U.S. Congress members landed in Damascus on Friday to meet Syrian officials, the first visit by American lawmakers to the war-ravaged country since Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power by an Islamist-led rebel offensive in December.



The two are U.S. Representatives Cory Mills of Florida, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees, and Marlin Stutzman of Indiana. Both are members of President Donald Trump's Republican Party.



Mills met new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday night, said a person in the delegation. They discussed U.S. sanctions and Iran during a 90-minute meeting.



The source said Stutzman was set to meet on Saturday with Sharaa, still under U.S. and UN sanctions for his previous ties to al Qaeda.



Asked about meeting a leader still sanctioned by Washington, Stutzman cited examples of Trump’s administration engaging with Iranian and North Korean leaders.