WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has notified Congress about its plans to explore the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, which was closed in 2012 amid Syria’s civil conflict.

According to a report from The Associated Press, earlier this month, congressional committees received a briefing from the State Department outlining a “phased approach” to potentially resuming embassy functions in Syria.

The notice, dated February 10, indicated that budget allocations for the planning process would commence within 15 days, possibly starting next week. However, it did not specify when the embassy might fully reopen or when U.S. diplomats could return to Damascus permanently.

The embassy’s reopening has been on the table since last year, following the December 2024 ousting of Syria’s long-standing leader Bashar Assad. This initiative has been championed by Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria.

Barrack has been advocating for a strengthened relationship with Syria’s new administration, led by former rebel Ahmad al-Sharaa. His efforts have led to the removal of U.S. sanctions and Syria’s re-entry into regional and international circles. In May, Barrack visited Damascus, where he ceremonially raised the U.S. flag at the embassy site, though it remains officially closed.

On the same day the congressional update was dispatched, Barrack praised Syria’s involvement in the coalition against the Islamic State. This comes despite the U.S. military’s recent withdrawal from a pivotal southeastern base and ongoing tensions with the Kurdish minority in the region.

“Regional solutions, shared responsibility. Syria’s participation in the D-ISIS Coalition meeting in Riyadh marks a new chapter in collective security,” Barrack said.

The embassy re-opening plans are classified and the State Department declined to comment on details beyond confirming that the congressional notification was sent.

However, the department has taken a similar “phased” approach in its plans to re-open the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, following the U.S. military operation that ousted former President Nicolás Maduro in January, with the deployment of temporary staffers who would live in and work out of interim facilities.