(
Sep. 12, 2025
/ JNS
)
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, and Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria, CENTCOM announced on Friday.
The two U.S. leaders thanked al-Sharaa for his support in countering ISIS and praised him and the country for “continuing efforts that support U.S. goals in the Middle East.”
The three leaders committed to meeting in the future.
On Sept. 6, Cooper concluded his first visit to Israel since replacing Gen. Michael Kurilla as CENTCOM commander, where Cooper reaffirmed that “the United States maintains an ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”
