António Guterres made his first visit as UN Secretary-General to Syria since 2009, meeting President Ahmed al-Sharaa and touring sites in Damascus. The trip occurred more than 18 months after forces led by al-Sharaa ousted Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending five decades of Assad family rule that began after the 2011 outbreak of the Syrian conflict. Guterres called for international support for reconstruction while al-Sharaa remained under prior UN sanctions until November 2025.