French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said from Baghdad on Thursday that "fighting Islamist terrorism" is the main goal of a regional tour he began in Damascus as he called on Syrian authorities to adhere to the agreement concluded with Kurdish forces. Barrow arrives in Beirut on Friday.

Published on: 05/02/2026 - 21:34

On a regional tour he began in Damascus, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed from Baghdad on Thursday that “combatting Islamist terrorism” was its main goal.

Barrow confirmed on Thursday morning from the Syrian capital, after meeting with his counterpart, Asaad Al-Shaibani, that “For ten years, France has relentlessly fought ISIS terrorists in Iraq as well as in Syria (...) and I have come to reaffirm this absolute priority for France here in Syria.”

He praised the "key role" played by Iraq, which began receiving detainees from among up to seven thousand detainees of ISIS members. Last month, the US Central Command (Centcom) announced the start of their transfer from Syria in order to "ensure that terrorists remain in secure detention facilities."

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Last month, the American envoy to Damascus, Tom Barrack, announced that the SDF’s role in confronting the extremist organization had ended.

“I came on a mission to combat ISIS”

On Thursday afternoon, Barrow said from Baghdad after a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart, Fouad Hussein, that “combatting Islamist terrorism is the main goal of my travel to Syria and Iraq,” adding, “I came on a mission to combat ISIS because the security of the French men and women is determined here as well.”

The Iraqi judiciary announced on Monday that it had initiated investigation procedures into more than 1,300 members of the organization who were detained in Syria and transferred by the US army to Iraq, where thousands of Iraqis and foreigners convicted of belonging to the organization remain in prisons.

Among the detainees being transferred are Syrians, Iraqis, Europeans, and other nationalities, according to Iraqi security sources.

In recent years, Iraqi courts have issued death sentences and life imprisonment against those convicted of belonging to a “terrorist group” in terrorism cases and the killing of hundreds of people, including French nationals.

Read also: As part of his regional tour in the Middle East... the French Foreign Minister arrives in Syria

“Personal” intervention from Macron

Barrow will travel on Thursday evening to Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and will visit Lebanon on Friday and Saturday.

Barrow's visit follows an agreement reached by the Syrian authorities with the Kurdish forces this month, with American mediation, after a military escalation, which prompted the latter to withdraw from large areas under its control and agree to integrate its institutions and forces within the framework of the Syrian state.

Barrow referred to the "personal intervention" of President Emmanuel Macron "to avoid a bloodbath, and to facilitate a ceasefire" between Damascus and the Kurds.

He praised the "progress" made in implementing the agreement between the two parties, explaining that he would meet with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi in Iraq on Thursday evening.

For his part, the Iraqi Foreign Minister affirmed Baghdad's support for the agreement between the Syrian government and the Kurdish forces, stressing that Iraq will cooperate "with the Syrian side in continuing to fight ISIS."

Iran's allies file

On the other hand, a French diplomatic source explained that Barrow's tour also comes in light of "the continuing threat of military escalation between the United States and Iran."

In Iraq and Lebanon, which include armed factions supported by Iran, the French Foreign Minister will bring “a kind of reassurance” in light of the American-Iranian tension.

Read also: Iran and the United States will hold indirect talks in Oman on Friday

According to the diplomatic source, these “countries are at risk of being dragged into escalation, as Lebanon has already witnessed this in 2024, while Iraq has so far been able to avoid this dangerous escalation.”

He continued, "However, we must be able to discuss the challenge posed by this Iran-related crisis with these two countries."

Barrow will arrive in Beirut on Friday to discuss the government's follow-up of the plan to disarm Hezbollah, and will discuss preparations for holding a conference dedicated to supporting the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces, scheduled to be held on March 5 in Paris, to support the two institutions within the framework of the mission of disarming the pro-Tehran party.

France 24/AFP

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