Damascus Denies Attack Claims as IDF Flags Threats to Syrian President
Syrian authorities on Tuesday rejected online claims that President Ahmed al-Sharaa had been targeted in an assassination attempt in Damascus, releasing footage that showed him walking calmly through the capital, visiting shops, and paying for goods in Syrian currency.
The Interior Ministry said the allegations circulating on social media were “false and misleading,” and spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said the ministry “categorically denies these allegations.”
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The denials followed a burst of unverified reports that al-Sharaa had been attacked and possibly injured after a period of reduced public visibility. Israeli media reports, citing Israel Defense Forces sources, said the IDF has warned that Iran, working with “other hostile actors,” is seeking to assassinate al-Sharaa as contacts between Israel and Syria begin to open and regional tensions remain high.
According to those reports, Israeli military intelligence assessments indicate that al-Sharaa faces credible threats and has been forced to devote significant resources to personal security and regime stabilization. The reports also said Israel’s defense establishment argues that the lessons of October 7 require a forward posture along the Israeli-Syrian frontier to protect nearby Israeli communities.
Reports of plots against al-Sharaa have surfaced before. In November, Syrian officials said they had foiled Islamic State plots to assassinate him, pointing to ongoing security risks surrounding Syria’s leadership transition.
