The United States said on Friday it was considering closing its embassy in Syria for safety concerns.

The United States said on Friday it was considering closing its embassy in Syria for safety concerns.

"We have serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Damascus, including the recent spate of car bombs, and about the safety and security of embassy personnel”, the US State Department said in a statement.

"We have requested that the government of Syria take additional security measures to protect our embassy, and the Syrian government is considering that request," the State Department said.
"We have also advised the Syrian government that unless concrete steps are taken in the coming days we may have no choice but to close the mission," the statement said.
But it added that no final decision has been made.

Meanwhile, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland also said on Friday the US government was looking into reports of the possible arrest of US citizen Abdelkader Chaar in the Syrian city of Aleppo on January 8.

"We've been in contact with Syrian authorities and have requested confirmation of the arrest and requested consular access. We have not yet had a response to those requests," Nuland said.

Abdelkadar Chaar, 22, was born in Syracuse, New York, moved to Aleppo with his parents when he was a boy and is currently a medical student at Aleppo University, his uncle Sam Chaar was quoted as telling CNN.