The View from Damascus – Trump and Sharaa in Riyadh: A Meeting That Signals a Geopolitical Earthquake
THE SYRIAN OBSERVER
May 15, 2025
This was the first meeting between a U.S. and Syrian president in 25 years.
This was the first meeting between a U.S. and Syrian president in 25 years.
While the lifting of sanctions marks a dramatic breakthrough, the road ahead remains fraught.
What makes this moment unique is not just the shifting tone in Washington, but the rare convergence of interests across political lines.
A 2024 World Bank report estimated Syria’s Captagon economy at up to $5.6 billion annually
Azerbaijan’s approach mirrors broader trends in global energy diplomacy, akin to China’s engagement in Africa or Russia’s energy-based influence in Libya, Syria TV writes.
According to Israel’s Channel N12, citing the Turkish opposition outlet Sozcu, Turkish F-16s conducted reconnaissance flights in the same area where Israeli jets were operating and issued “warning messages” via electronic warfare systems, al-Modon writes.
Sharaa also voiced concerns over Iranian efforts to destabilize Syria.
In an interview with The New York Times, Sharaa made a direct appeal to the international community for financial aid, military support, and the lifting of sanctions, describing Syria’s stability as a global concern.
Despite ongoing engagement, the United States maintains an ambiguous stance towards Syria’s new leadership, al-Araby al-Jadeed writes.
The visit comes amid reports, including from Politico, that the U.S. State Department and Treasury are considering easing long-standing sanctions on Syria
While the document covers wide-ranging security issues, it notably omits concrete demands for the establishment of a transitional government, constitutional reform, or implementation of transitional justice.
Sharaa is seen as a stabilising figure in a chaotic transition, someone who filled the post-Assad vacuum when no other credible authority could
Although the Presidential Office issued a statement clarifying that Jamal al-Sharqa holds no official position within the state and that his presence was strictly personal, the announcement failed to stem the wave of criticism.
The meeting reflected a shared willingness by both Damascus and Erbil to recalibrate their bilateral relations and open direct lines of communication, 963 writes.
The list of U.S. demands calls for Damascus to issue a formal public statement banning all Palestinian political factions and activities on Syrian soil.
In the absence of a clearly defined Syria policy, two competing currents have emerged within the US administration, united only in their satisfaction over the fall of the Assad regime, Marwan Qabalan writes in al-Araby al-Jadeed.
The fate of these individuals divides Syrian society. One camp—led by the current Damascus authorities—sees it as a betrayal to expel those who fought and suffered alongside Syrians. Yet, many reject this sympathetic view.
A senior U.S. official familiar with the matter told The Hill that there had been “significant internal debate within the administration” over whether to demand the closure of Russia’s military base in Syria
Samer Foz rose to prominence during the years of war and sanctions, becoming a central player in the regime’s shadow economy, Sawt al-Asima writes.
Ghalioun stressed the urgency of initiating a bottom-up democratic transition—beginning with free local elections and democratic trade unions, Syria TV says.
