A man and children paint a mural depicting the independence-era Syrian flag with the slogan “Free Syria” along the wall of a building in the old city of Homs on December 16, 2024. – Islamist-led rebels took Damascus in a lightning

This aerial view shows destroyed buildings in Maaret al-Numan, in the northwestern Syrian Idlib province, on December 14, 2024. Agence France-Presse DAMASCUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed Saturday that Washington had made contact with S