Circulating video footage has exposed contradictions in the official account of the attack on the UAE embassy in Damascus, with signs that individuals were involved and that security forces facilitated the incident as it unfolded.
The Syrian Interior Ministry’s official version blamed what it called “remnants of the former regime,” but the video clips show that a number of security personnel helped protesters climb onto the UAE embassy balcony, lower the flag and replace it.
Start of the protests
In recent days, Damascus has seen protests outside the UAE embassy. They began over a local issue before quickly escalating into demonstrations carrying pro-Palestinian slogans and criticism of Abu Dhabi.
The protests began demanding the release of Issam Buwaydani, the former commander of Jaish al-Islam, who was detained in Dubai in April 2025 and faces legal proceedings over allegations of cooperation with extremist groups during the Syrian war.
The Interior Ministry’s account
The day after the attack, Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba appeared in an interview on Syrian state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya, saying that “what happened in terms of insulting the UAE embassy was unintentional and not deliberate, and was carried out by some people linked to the former regime.”
He added: “We must distinguish between those acting on the agendas of the former regime and those working in support of the Palestinian cause.”
The Interior Ministry spokesman said that “the remnants of the former regime are trying to keep Syria in a state of international isolation even after its fall.”
He said that “measures will be announced soon, including a draft decree to regulate demonstrations and popular movements, and that the purpose of regulating protests is purely organizational.”
He concluded: “Some offenders and troublemakers are seeking to tarnish Syria’s Arab depth and its move toward the future, and they must be brought under control and dealt with firmly.”
On the other hand, the Interior Ministry announced on Sunday that it had arrested two people proven to have been involved in the attack on the UAE embassy headquarters, as it put it.
The ministry said in a statement that it had immediately begun taking the necessary legal measures against the suspects in accordance with established procedures, stressing that any attack on diplomatic missions is a red line that cannot be tolerated.
The attack is a violation of international law
For his part, international criminal law and human rights specialist Al-Mutasim al-Kilani said that “any attack on an embassy or diplomatic mission in Damascus is not just a passing incident, but a serious violation of international law and a direct breach of the sanctity of diplomatic work.”
He added that “this behavior is categorically rejected and condemned, and cannot be justified under any circumstances. It also damages Syria’s image and exposes its international relations to serious risks.”
He concluded: “Protecting diplomatic missions is a legal and sovereign obligation, and any breach of it is an affront to the state’s prestige.”
Video evidence
By contrast, the video clips show facilitation by General Security personnel in the government forces and security agencies deployed around the embassy at the time of the incident.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the appearance of some of the attackers, alongside security personnel suspected of facilitating what happened, is audible and visible in the footage.
The Observatory stressed the need to detain all security personnel who appeared in those clips and to open a serious and transparent investigation to uncover the circumstances of the incident and hold accountable anyone proven to have been involved or negligent in protecting diplomatic missions.
Angry reactions
As for the reactions, a number of commentators voiced sharp criticism. Journalist Hani al-Mashour said: “The failure of al-Sharaa’s government was expected. This regime has been unable to break free from the constraints of Islamist thinking; rather, it has sunk deeper into the maze of the past, backed by regional states that see the Muslim Brotherhood as one of their arms and claws.”
In the same context, Emirati researcher Amjad Taha wrote on his X account that the United Arab Emirates condemns in the strongest terms the acts of vandalism and the attack on its embassy in Syria.
Taha asked: “What is the Islamist government in Syria trying to prove by allowing these attacks to happen? It is deeply shameful, if not surprising. As usual, the European Union remains silent when it comes to Islamists.”
The UAE, along with several Gulf and Arab states, condemned the attack on the diplomatic mission headquarters in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
In a statement from the Foreign Ministry, the UAE expressed its “strong condemnation and denunciation of the acts of rioting, attempts to vandalize property and the attacks targeting its mission headquarters and the residence of the head of mission in Damascus, and affirmed its rejection and condemnation of the unacceptable insults directed at the state’s national symbols.”
The UAE called on the Syrian authorities to fulfill their duty to secure the embassy and its staff, investigate the circumstances of these attacks, ensure they are not repeated in the future, and take all necessary legal measures to hold those responsible accountable.
Al-Kilani had written on his Facebook page: “A year and five months during which no protest was allowed for Gaza, despite the daily massacres and the fall of hundreds of victims, raises questions about this sudden shift in a single day.”
He added, asking: “Are we facing foreign interventions trying to play with the Syrian file outside the government’s will? Or are we looking at a new scenario to exploit the Palestinian cause, as the former regime used to do?”
