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CENTCOM commander meets with Syrian president in Damascus

Adm. Brad Cooper and Tom Barrack, U.S. special envoy to Syria, thanked the president for “continuing efforts that support U.S. goals in the Middle East.”

Brad Cooper, Ahmed al-Sharaa
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the Presidential Palace in Damascus on Sept. 12, 2025. Credit: CENTCOM.

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.”

The posthumous recognition of the former president of Daystar Television Network comes at a time when mainstream media are highly critical of Israel.
“I want you to listen to my words carefully: One day, and it may not be far away, the Iranian people will be free. Their murderous regime will be toppled by its lies, by its corruption, by its cruelty,” the Israeli prime minister said.
“We will continue to hunt down Hamas commanders and operatives, target its sources of funding and destroy its terrorist infrastructure,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
Both decisions will be submitted to the High Court of Justice for review.