Syrian president discusses Iran war with British PM on first visit to London since fall of al-Assad

 

Ahmed al-Sharaa has managed to build relations with Western governments and made several overseas trips, including to the United States, France and Germany.

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed the war with Iran in talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street, his first visit to the UK since ousting long-time former President Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

The leaders "discussed the need for a viable plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in the face of the severe economic impact of prolonged closure, and agreed to work with others to restore freedom of navigation," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

Since al-Sharaa has been in power, sectarian tensions have continued to cause repeated bloodshed in Syria, while the so-called Islamic State (IS) group remains at large.

Starmer said he welcomed the Syrian government's "action" against IS and noted progress on counter-terrorism, the spokesperson said.

The British prime minister urged "closer work together on returns (of illegal migrants), on border security and on tackling people smuggling networks."

Between 2011 and 2021, nearly 31,000 Syrians were granted asylum in Britain after the civil war sparked a refugee crisis, according to government statistics.

The president's visit came after London announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with Syria in July 2025.

It followed a visit by then foreign minister David Lammy to Damascus, the first visit to Syria by a British minister in 14 years.

The British government said at the time that its engagement with Damascus was aimed at supporting the country's political transition and assisting economic recovery as well as reducing illegal migration and addressing the issue of chemical weapons.

Al-Sharaa met Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Monday, as he seeks to keep Syria insulated from the repercussions of the current Middle East war.

Europe's top economy is home to the largest Syrian diaspora in the European Union at more than a million, many of whom arrived during the peak of the migrant influx in 2015-2016.

Merz, who has made a tougher immigration policy a priority since taking office last year, said he and Sharaa had agreed eight out of 10 Syrians in Germany should go back "over the next three years."

Al-Sharaa, 43, has managed to build relations with Western governments and made several overseas trips, including to the United States, France and Russia.

As a result, many international sanctions on Syria have been lifted to help the country rebuild after a bloody 14-year civil war.

Later on Tuesday, al-Sharaa met King Charles for an audience at Buckingham Palace but no details have been released about what the pair discussed.

Source: Euronews