Senior State Department sources tell Erem News that President Donald Trump has ordered a top-to-bottom review of America’s Syria strategy. The inter-agency reassessment spans the White House, State and Defense Departments, and key congressional committees.
Seasoned diplomats say Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his advisers now favour a “wait-and-see” posture: closely monitor Damascus, then decide next steps.
Key developments
- Freeze on delisting Syria. Presidential envoy Thomas Barrack confirmed that Rubio has suspended efforts to drop Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism until Damascus demonstrates concrete progress.
- Damascus turns to Moscow. In a highly symbolic move, Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa met Russian President Vladimir Putin and FM Sergey Lavrov this week—the first such meeting since Shar‛ took power. Washington’s reaction: total silence, hinting at friction after months of upbeat statements.
- Unease over reform pace. US diplomats say earlier, rapid US gestures aimed at jump-starting Syria’s political and economic transition did not yield the standards Washington demanded. The new stance: deliberate caution.
Voices from Washington
Former Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf tells Erem News that Sharaa’s success will be judged by “broadening his team beyond the cohort that came with him from Daraa” and reflecting Syria’s full social mosaic.
Syrian-American analyst Saad Fnsah calls Shaara’s Moscow trip “a sign of imbalance—Damascus drifting back to Russia just as relations between Trump and the Kremlin hit a post-Ukraine low.”
On Capitol Hill, enthusiasm for lifting sanctions and scrapping the Caesar Act has evaporated. Lawmakers from both parties now argue that all penalties must remain until Sharaa keeps US-requested reforms.
The White House has also unveiled a new tariff package. Although billed as purely economic, Syria faces the steepest hike—41 percent—fueling speculation the duties are another lever to prod Shar‛.
After a brief honeymoon, Washington is hitting the brakes. Syria’s bid to shed its pariah status—and its overture to Moscow—will be judged by deeds, not promises. Until then, US sanctions stay, and the terrorism-list reprieve is on ice.
