Alhurra Report: Al-Sharaa’s airport appearance saved Iraqi PM’s visit to Damascus

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According to Alhurra, an informed Iraqi source revealed that the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to Damascus on October 28, 2026, was nearly cancelled after the Syrian side initially stated that President Ahmed Al-Sharaa would not be able to attend the airport reception due to security reasons. Baghdad responded by stating that Al-Zaidi would not proceed with the visit unless the Syrian President was present at the airport. Following this, the Syrian side confirmed Al-Sharaa would attend. This marks the first visit by an Iraqi Prime Minister to Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024. Iraqi sources confirmed that U.S. Special Envoy for Iraq and Syria, Tom Barak, helped facilitate the visit. The U.S. State Department expressed satisfaction with the meeting. The primary agenda items included the oil pipeline file and alternatives for Iraqi oil exports.