US envoy to Syria celebrates one year since Assad’s fall

(MENAFN) US envoy to Damascus Tom Barrack on Monday extended congratulations to the Syrian people on the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s fall, describing the milestone as “a new chance for peace, unity and prosperity,” according to reports.

Addressing Syrians on the social media platform X, Barrack said, “To every Syrian - Sunni, Alawite, Kurd, Christian, Druze, Arab, Turkmen, Circassian, and all who call this ancient land home - after so many years of pain, today we celebrate your shared hope rising again.” He emphasized that the occasion represents a fresh opportunity for national reconciliation and growth, adding, “The future belongs to all of you.”

To mark the anniversary, military parades were held across Syrian provinces, including Damascus, its surrounding countryside, Daraa, Hama, Aleppo, and Idlib, drawing significant public participation.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, speaking after performing the dawn prayer at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, said, “From its north to its south, and from its east to its west, God willing, we will restore Syria strong again with a rebuilding worthy of its present and its past – a rebuilding worthy of Syria’s ancient heritage.”

Bashar al-Assad, who had ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime that had governed the country since 1963. Sharaa’s transitional administration was established in January.

MENAFN09122025000045017281ID1110455920