The View From Damascus – Trump Lifts Sanctions: Sharaa’s Gamble with Israel Pays Off
THE SYRIAN OBSERVER
May 14, 2025
While the lifting of sanctions marks a dramatic breakthrough, the road ahead remains fraught.
While the lifting of sanctions marks a dramatic breakthrough, the road ahead remains fraught.
Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, Sa’ar stated, “We want good relations. We want stability. Of course, we have security concerns—and that’s understandable”.
Shibani confirmed that Syria is actively implementing an agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to reintegrate northeastern regions under central government authority.
Haaretz described the visit as “unannounced and conducted in complete secrecy,” adding that the meetings lasted several days and addressed undisclosed issues.
Hakan Fidan reaffirmed Turkey’s strong support for Syria’s territorial integrity
During Sharaa’s visit to the Élysée Palace in Paris on Wednesday, Macron criticized Israeli actions in Syria as “unacceptable”.
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.
To shield itself from Israel, Syria has to remove the very vulnerabilities iit exploits—sectarian divisions, weak institutions, and a fractured social contract, Marwan Kabalan writes.
UAE-facilitated dialogue could represent a tentative first step toward deconfliction or even longer-term security arrangements, al-Modon writes.
Shibani’s speech at the UN focused on one key theme: lifting sanctions as a prerequisite for Syrian stability.
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.
Ahmad al-Sharaa is facing increasing calls for bold but stabilising steps
What unfolded in Ashrafiyet Sahnaya is the inevitable outcome of a political order that refuses reform and treats pluralism as a threat rather than a strength
Foreign Minister Shibani stressed in New York that the crisis only underscores the need for a political solution grounded in sovereignty and internal consensus.
The visit has been arranged through direct coordination between Druze religious authorities in Syria and their counterparts in Israel, Shaam reports.
When sanctions restrict the government’s financial and monetary functions and choke off investment essential to job creation and reconstruction, they undermine the very foundations of peacebuilding, Samira Al-Masalmeh argues in Al-Modon.
The timing of the arrests—less than two days after a visit by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to Damascus—has fueled speculation about political motives.
Turkey will take a leading role in Syria’s reconstruction, backed by Gulf financing, researcher and policy expert Salam Kawakibi told 963 media.
Despite ongoing engagement, the United States maintains an ambiguous stance towards Syria’s new leadership, al-Araby al-Jadeed writes.
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.
