In the midst of touring in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the lifting of all American sanctions against Syria, marking a major diplomatic turning point in the region.
A spectacular announcement from Riyadh
Explaining during the American-Saudi investment forum in Riyadh, in particular in the presence of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmane, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, Trump said:
“I will order the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them a chance of greatness. »»
The announcement was followed by a standing ovation of several seconds.
Implicit support for the new Syrian diet
The American president justified his decision after exchanges with the Saudi crown prince and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, two key players in regional support for the new Syrian government.
Trump also confirmed that he would meet the acting Syrian president Ahmed al-Charaa on Wednesday in Riyadh. This meeting has a very controversial character: Al-Charaa is a former jihadist, passed by Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, before founding Jabhat al-Nusra. Although he is still on the American list of terrorists, he is now supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and several Gulf monarchies for his desire to stabilize Syria.
Tensions with Israel, pressure on Iran
This implicit recognition of the new Syrian power highlights the strategic distance between Washington and Tel Aviv: Israel has not appeared in the agenda of this regional tour, a first since the start of Trump’s second term.
This Trump decision is part of a broader strategy to redefine American alliances in the Middle East. It also testifies to the now central role of Saudi Arabia in regional geopolitical architecture, particularly in the Syrian file.
On the other hand, the American president hardened his speech towards Iran, when the nuclear negotiations continue in Mascate, led by his special envoy Steve Witkoff, under the mediation of Oman:
“We will never let America or its allies be threatened by terrorism or a nuclear attack. The time has come for them to choose. »»
Syrian reactions and post-Assad context
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the voice of Assaad al-Chaibani, praised a decision qualified as “decisive”, paving the way for a future of stability and reconstruction after fourteen years of war.
Donald Trump had already mentioned, the day before, a possible softening of the sanctions, after the fall of Bashar al-Assad last December, reversed by an Islamist coalition. The new interim president, Ahmed al-Charaa, has been leading a diplomatic offensive to get his country from isolation from the Western countries since a diplomatic offensive.
However, several states condition the lifting of their sanctions on concrete human rights guarantees and the protection of minorities.
A Syrian exsangue economy
According to the UN, 90 % of the Syrian population now lives below the poverty line. The UNDP estimates in a February report that, without major change, Syria will not regain its 2010 economic level before 2080.
