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Politics · Middle East

Iraqi prime minister arrives in Damascus for first Syria visit since Assad’s ouster

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Damascus on Wednesday for the first visit by an Iraqi prime minister since Ahmed al-Sharaa’s authorities took power after Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. Syrian state media said al-Sharaa met al-Zaidi, while the visit’s stated focus is stronger economic and energy cooperation between the neighbours.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 4 independent reports from 5 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 4 reportsHow it's made

View timeline · 8 entries
5 outletsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: MixedL 1 · C 1 · R 1 · 2 unrated
Updat3 graphic: Iraq
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • Al-Zaidi’s visit is the first by an Iraqi prime minister since Ahmed al-Sharaa’s authorities took power after Bashar al-Assad’s ouster (per newarab.com, The Jerusalem Post).
  • In an interview broadcast Tuesday by Iraqi television channel Dijlah, al-Sharaa said that positive progress had been made in Syrian-Iraqi relations over the past year and a half, particularly on economic matters (per newarab.com).
  • Al-Sharaa said some of about 3,000 Syrian detainees transferred to Iraq had no connection to IS (per newarab.com).
  • Al-Sharaa said efforts were underway to categorise the transferred detainees, examine Syria’s responsibility and consider possibilities for their repatriation (per newarab.com).

The brief

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Damascus on Wednesday, beginning the first visit to Syria by an Iraqi prime minister since Ahmed al-Sharaa’s authorities took power. Syrian state media said al-Sharaa met al-Zaidi. The neighbours are seeking to strengthen economic and energy cooperation, according to The New Arab.

The visit puts economic ties at the centre of the stated agenda. The New Arab described the effort as a bid to bolster cooperation in energy and other economic matters. The Jerusalem Post’s headline characterised the visit as a summit on security and trade, while Gulf News, Asharq Al-Awsat and Al Arabiya framed it as a visit by neighbours seeking stronger economic ties.

Al-Sharaa had discussed relations between the two countries in an interview broadcast Tuesday by Iraqi television channel Dijlah. He said positive progress had been built in Syrian-Iraqi relations over the past year and a half, particularly in economic matters.

That assessment was al-Sharaa’s own description of the relationship; the interview account did not provide a separate assessment from al-Zaidi. The interview also addressed Syrian detainees transferred to Iraq. Al-Sharaa said some of the approximately 3,000 detainees had no connection to IS.

He said work was underway to categorise them, examine Syria’s responsibility and consider whether they could be repatriated. The detainee issue is a further subject in the visit’s wider bilateral context, alongside the stated effort to strengthen economic and energy cooperation.

Al-Sharaa’s comments identify categorisation, responsibility and possible repatriation as matters under consideration, but do not state a final determination or outcome. The visit follows the change in authority in Syria after Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, a transition that The New Arab identifies as the reason this is the first Iraqi prime ministerial visit since then.

The immediate documented developments are al-Zaidi’s arrival and meeting with al-Sharaa, the economic and energy agenda, and al-Sharaa’s account of the detainee review and possible repatriation.

Why it matters

  • Iraq and Syria are pursuing stronger economic and energy cooperation, the stated purpose attached to al-Zaidi’s visit.
  • The detainee question involves about 3,000 Syrians transferred to Iraq; al-Sharaa said some had no connection to IS.
  • The review described by al-Sharaa includes categorising detainees, examining Syria’s responsibility and considering possible repatriation.

What to watch next

  • Whether Iraq and Syria take further steps on the stated economic and energy cooperation agenda.
  • Whether the detainee categorisation and examination of Syria’s responsibility lead to decisions on repatriation.
  • Whether al-Zaidi or Iraqi officials provide an account of the visit’s discussions.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets · 4 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Mixed· 1 Left · 1 Center · 1 Right · 2 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Middle East 60% · Unknown 40%
Outlet political mix
Mixed
Left
Center
Right
1 outlet
1 outlet
1 outlet
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 2 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: Middle East
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Protests against Assad’s rule began in Syria in March 2011; the conflict that followed displaced millions and drew in foreign governments and armed factions.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. The Islamic State (IS), which grew out of al-Qaeda in Iraq, seized Mosul in June 2014 and later controlled territory on both sides of the Syria-Iraq border.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. Iraqi forces declared victory over Islamic State’s territorial rule in Iraq.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Islamic State lost its last major Syrian territory at Baghouz.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. The al-Qaim–Albu Kamal crossing, a key link between the two states, reopened in October 2019 after years of closure related to the wars in both countries.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. Opposition forces entered Damascus and Bashar al-Assad’s government collapsed.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  7. Assad’s removal in December 2024 changed the political setting for those longstanding Iraqi concerns.
    Background · from our historical context
  8. Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces had led the offensive, was named president for a transitional period on January 29, 2025.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

The immediate backdrop was the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government on December 8, 2024, after an offensive by Syrian opposition forces that began on November 27. Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces had led the offensive, was named president for a transitional period on January 29, 2025.

Those changes replaced the government with which Baghdad had dealt for more than a decade and created a new counterpart for Iraqi diplomacy. The relationship had been shaped by the Syrian conflict and the spread of armed groups across the countries’ shared border.

Original sources

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