Syrian Vice-President Farouk al-Sharaa has made his first public appearance in several weeks, ending rumours that he defected.
Mr. al-Sharaa was last seen at the funeral of four top Syrian government officials who were killed in a blast in Damascus on July 18, 2012. Since then, speculation has circulated that he defected to Jordan in what would have been a blow to Bashar Assad’s regime. Jordan and Mr. al-Sharaa’s office repeatedly denied he defected.
On Sunday, reporters saw Mr. al-Sharaa exit his car and walk to his office for a meeting with Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iran’s powerful parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy.
An Associated Press reporter at the scene said Mr. al-Sharaa looked serious and steered away from reporters covering the meeting. He did not make a statement.