Overview
- President Ahmed al-Chareh, in military uniform, led commemorations in Damascus and called on citizens to "build a strong Syria" and safeguard stability, according to an official communiqué.
- UN chief Antonio Guterres urged efforts to heal deep divisions, as the government touts its international rehabilitation, including sanctions relief and high-profile visits.
- An Alaouite spiritual leader, Ghazal Ghazal, urged a boycott of festivities, and the Kurdish administration halted public gatherings over security threats, reflecting ongoing fear among minorities after deadly intercommunal violence.
- A Reuters investigation reported that exiled Assad associates Rami Makhlouf and Kamal Hassan have financed rival militias and sought control of underground arms command centers; a coastal governor said authorities are aware and have made arrests.
- Assad remains in Moscow under Russian protection with strict silence conditions, with the OSDH reporting a late-September poisoning attempt and Damascus still requesting his extradition.