Syria has been on the US sanctions list since 1979, and now Trump has said he will lift sanctions on Damascus. He also met with Syrian leader Ash Sharaa. What is the reason for this change in course?
The US is lifting all sanctions against Syria to give them a "chance for peace", US President Donald Trump announced yesterday. "They have experienced enough disasters, wars and murders", he added.
Washington's decision is historic - Syria has been on the US sanctions list since 1979 for its support first for the Palestinian revolutionary movements, then for Hezbollah and other organizations.
Today, the two countries took another serious step with another historic event - the first meeting between an American president and a Syrian leader in 25 years. Trump and Ahmed Ash Shaaraa spoke within the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
A 180-degree change
The Ash Shaaraa government came to power in Syria in January, after a month earlier, the Hayat Tahrir Ash Sham organization led by him was the basis for the overthrow of the Assad family regime, which had ruled the country for the past 54 years. Hafez al-Assad and Bashar al-Assad are responsible for severe repression against the opposition in the country. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Bashar al-Assad is responsible for the deaths of over 200,000 civilians in the Syrian civil war that broke out in 2011.
At the same time, al-Sharaa and the organization he leads are linked to al-Qaeda. For this reason, until December last year, Washington offered $10 million for his capture. The events of recent months mark a 180-degree change in these relations.
Victory for Saudi Arabia and Turkey
According to various media sources, with his decision to lift all sanctions on Syria, Donald Trump is fulfilling the wishes of Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Without sanctions from their ally, they will be able to freely invest in Syria and thus reduce the influence of Iran, which has been an ally of the Assad regime for years.
Turkish President Erdogan also joined the meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa via video link.