UN Security Council Delegation Arrives in Syria in First-Ever Visit
A full UN Security Council delegation arrived in Syria for its first-ever visit, meeting new authorities and assessing war damage in Jobar, amid heightened regional diplomacy and ongoing border smuggling challenges.
Erbil (Kurdistan24) – A delegation representing all fifteen member states of the United Nations Security Council arrived in Syria on Thursday, marking the Council’s first trip to the country and its first official visit to the Middle East in six years. The visit comes nearly one year after the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad and as the UN intensifies efforts to reestablish its presence in the war-torn country.
Syria’s state news agency SANA confirmed that the delegation entered the country through the Jdeidet Yabous crossing on the Lebanese–Syrian border, where it is scheduled to meet with senior officials in the new authorities as well as members of civil society.
Upon arrival, the delegation traveled directly to the war-ravaged Jobar district on the outskirts of Damascus to assess the scale of destruction left by years of conflict. Jobar, once a bustling urban neighborhood, remains among the most devastated areas around the capital.
The Security Council team will hold formal talks in Damascus before heading to Lebanon, the second stop of their regional tour.
The visit coincides with renewed UN efforts to strengthen engagement with Syria following the Council’s recent decision to lift sanctions on former Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa, whose forces played a central role in the military campaign that removed Assad from power in December last year.
The United Nations has repeatedly emphasized the need for a comprehensive political transition after nearly 14 years of conflict. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Tuesday that the organization “strongly hopes the visit will contribute to enhancing dialogue between the United Nations and Syria.”
Slovenian Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, described the mission as a pivotal step. Speaking on Monday, he said the tour comes at a “crucial moment,” as Syria’s new authorities work to solidify the transitional phase and as regional tensions continue to rise.
Žbogar also noted that the delegation’s stop in Lebanon is equally important, given the challenges surrounding the year-long ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The ceasefire, which took effect in November 2024, remains fragile as both sides navigate a complex security landscape.
“The visit is important to show support and solidarity with both countries, to understand the challenges on the ground, and to convey the messages concerning the path the Council expects both Syria and Lebanon to follow,” he said.
The Council’s visit unfolds against a backdrop of heightened activity along the Syrian–Lebanese border, where smuggling networks continue to operate through rugged and sparsely regulated terrain.
On Wednesday, Syria’s Interior Ministry announced that one person was killed and four others arrested in an operation in the al-Jabba area of northern rural Damascus. Authorities said the group was attempting to smuggle a large cache of military landmines into Lebanon.
Khaled Abbas Taktouk, Director of Internal Security in Yabroud, confirmed that security units seized 1,250 military landmines equipped with fuses, stored inside a site in the al-Jabba area. The Ministry said the explosives were prepared for delivery to Hezbollah.
Images released by the ministry showed dozens of crates and bags filled with landmines, stacked across the courtyard of a building.
The 300-kilometer border between Syria, Lebanon and Israel is known for many conflicts and drug trafficking, with networks exploiting the mountainous terrain in regions such as Qalamoun, al-Zabadani, and rural Homs. Israeli officials claim Hezbollah is attempting to rearm as Israel intensifies strikes on the group’s positions inside Lebanon.
The environment surrounding the Council’s visit is further shaped by unusual diplomatic movement between Lebanon and Israel. On Wednesday, civilian representatives from both countries held their first direct discussions in decades at the UN peacekeeping headquarters in Naqoura, as part of the mechanism overseeing the 2024 ceasefire.
The United States, seeking to expand civilian engagement in the process, sent Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus to participate in the meeting.
As the Security Council delegation continues its tour, both Syria and Lebanon remain at the center of intense regional and international diplomacy, with the UN seeking to reinforce its role after years of limited influence.
