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.
What makes this moment unique is not just the shifting tone in Washington, but the rare convergence of interests across political lines.
During Sharaa’s visit to the Élysée Palace in Paris on Wednesday, Macron criticized Israeli actions in Syria as “unacceptable”.
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.
Foreign Minister Shibani stressed in New York that the crisis only underscores the need for a political solution grounded in sovereignty and internal consensus.
Despite refusing to join the Abraham Accords, Damascus affirmed its commitment to building a Syria that does not seek to threaten any other party, Syria TV says.
It remains unclear whether Washington has formally responded to the Syrian communication.
Shibani’s remarks acknowledged, at least superficially, Washington’s core demands: dismantling the remnants of Syria’s chemical weapons program and confronting terrorist groups, Enab Baladi writes.
The new interim government is placing its economic recovery in the hands of three seasoned technocrats: Nidal al-Shaar, Mohammad Yusr Barnieh, and Badr Yaarub.
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.
The Kurdish leader underscored the importance of recognising the Kurds as a fundamental component of the country, along with the rights to mother-tongue education, political participation, and the protection of women’s rights
The visit comes amid reports, including from Politico, that the U.S. State Department and Treasury are considering easing long-standing sanctions on Syria
Through this participation, Damascus aims to reassert its presence within international financial institutions and explore opportunities for economic cooperation with potential partners.
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
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 move comes after World Bank President David Malpass confirmed in remarks during a G20 meeting in April that the international financial institution is discussing debt restructuring for a number of troubled countries, including Syria
