Top Kurdish Leader From Iraq Visits Syria for the First Time Since Assad's Fall

Nechirvan Barzani, who leads the Kurdish region of Iraq, met Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus on August 3, 2026. It was the first such visit since Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad lost power. The two had met before at a diplomacy event in Turkey. Syria's state news reported they discussed relations, trade, and regional problems.