The Trump administration’s February 2026 congressional notification launched a phased State Department plan to resume embassy operations in Damascus, shuttered since 2012, following Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in late 2024. Special envoy Tom Barrack has driven rapprochement through sanctions relief, Syria’s August 2026 removal from the state sponsors of terrorism list, and its entry into the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition. A U.S. flag was raised at the compound in May 2025, yet full reopening remains pending security assessments, staffing, and congressional reviews, with no firm timeline released. Recent high-level meetings and economic delegations underscore ongoing normalization, though trader consensus reflects uncertainty over completion speed amid regional security dynamics and classified implementation details.