Two US Congress members, Cory Mills of Florida and Marlin Stutzman of Indiana, visited Syria and met with new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The visit marks the first time American lawmakers have visited the war-torn country since Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power. The congressmen discussed US sanctions and Iran during their meetings. The new Islamist-led leadership in Syria is pushing for the US and Europe to fully lift sanctions to help kickstart the country's economy. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also visited Syria for the first time since the fall of the Assad regime, meeting with al-Sharaa to discuss reinforcing ties between Syria and the Palestinians.