Albeit Vital, Sanctions Relief Is Not Enough - The Syrian Observer

Albeit Vital, Sanctions Relief Is Not Enough - The Syrian Observer

There is an unmistakable overestimation of the supposed magical effect of lifting U.S. and European sanctions on Syria—just as there was once undue faith in sanctions themselves as a tool to bring down the regimes of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad. It is well understood by now that the most direct impact of these sweeping sanctions was not felt by regime elites, but rather by ordinary Syrians, who bore the brunt of economic strangulation. This is not…

America props up an Al Qaeda terror state

The Trump era was supposed to restore foreign policy based on national interests and an end to the United States playing the world’s policeman. By Daniel Greenfield, Frontpage Magazine In March, the Trump administration laid out conditions for ending sanctions on Syria. The new Islamic terrorist regime led by a former Al Qaeda terrorist that had taken over Syria was warned to “exclude foreign terrorist fighters from any official roles”, difficul…

The new authorities in Syria, under the leadership of Ahmad al-Sharaa, are successfully moving towards international legitimation. The countries of the Middle East were the first to actively develop relations with the Islamists who overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024. Russia is trying to maintain its bases, so it has also begun to look for a way for dialogue. Finally, in May, the European Union and the United States joined the …

Israel, Syria and Jihadi Terror

On May 13, 2025, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will cease sanctions against Syria “to give them a chance at greatness.” As part of that statement, Trump chortled to Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman: “Oh, what I do for the crown prince.” But will any such cheerful banter have policy consequences for Israel? […] The post Israel, Syria and Jihadi Terror appeared first on Modern Diplomacy.

Trump’s gamble in normalizing relations with Syria in the face of Iran: ‘high-risk, high-reward’

President Donald Trump last week announced he would normalize U.S. relations with Syria by lifting decades-old sanctions, and he became the first American president to meet with the leader of the Middle Eastern nation in 25 years – a move that some have seen as an indirect hit on Iran.The news was a surprising shift from Trump’s prior position in which he said in a December post that "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES S…

The Sarrah-Barak meeting confirms the change in climate in Washington-Damascus relations, focusing on investments in energy and infrastructure