A delegation of four U.S. Senators and Representatives, including Joni Ernst, Markwayne Mullin, Jason Smith, and Jimmy Panetta, visited Damascus on August 19, 2025, where they met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani, and Interior Minister Anas Khattab to discuss economic and security cooperation. Concurrently, Syrian diplomat Ibrahim Olabi was appointed as Syria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, having previously worked on chemical weapons issues at the Foreign Ministry. In parallel diplomatic efforts, U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack met with Muwaffaq Tarif, the Druze leader in Israel, in Paris. Their discussions focused on stabilizing the ceasefire in the Suwayda region, lifting the siege on Suwayda province, and establishing a secure land corridor with U.S. guarantees for humanitarian aid delivery. Additionally, talks between Asaad al-Shaybani and Israeli official Doron Darmar in Paris aimed at reaching understandings to support regional stability, monitor the ceasefire in Suwayda, and reactivate the 1974 agreement. These developments mark a rare engagement between U.S., Syrian, and Israeli officials after decades of limited direct contact.