How the easing of sanctions is aiding Syria’s path back into the Arab fold

Saudi Arabia has positioned itself as the key broker of Syria’s reintegration into the Arab League, creating hope for recovery. (POOL/AFP/File)
Short Url
Updated 11 June 2025
Follow

How the easing of sanctions is aiding Syria’s path back into the Arab fold

  • Saudi-led diplomacy, US policy shifts, and Arab League reentry propel Syria’s comeback after years of isolation
  • Experts stress stability in Syria is essential to curbing extremism, drug smuggling, and regional volatility

LONDON: Syria’s slow return to the Arab fold is set to pick up pace. After Arab states cautiously reengaged following Bashar Assad’s fall in December, plans by the US and EU to lift sanctions have turned hesitation into opportunity.

As these barriers begin to ease, old allies are moving to renew ties — not only reviving diplomatic channels but also launching a high-stakes race to shape Syria’s postwar recovery and revival.

Leading the charge is Saudi Arabia, which has positioned itself as the key broker of Syria’s regional reintegration. Riyadh has hosted members of Syria’s new leadership and convened high-level meetings to coordinate Arab and international support for reconstruction.

A turning point came on May 14, when Saudi Arabia hosted a landmark meeting between US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa — the first such encounter between American and Syrian leaders in more than 25 years.




The meeting between US President Donald Trump, center, and Syria’s interim president Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Riyadh on May 14, 2025, brokered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right. (AFP file photo)

The meeting, facilitated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, took place just one day after Trump’s surprise announcement that Washington would lift all sanctions on Syria.

“This shift in US policy came after President Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio became convinced that Syria could spiral back into chaos and civil war — something regional allies did not want — if economic conditions remained frozen and sanctions continued to block governance,” Sameer Saboungi, policy officer and director of legal affairs at the Syrian American Council, told Arab News.

That decision has triggered a wave of normalization efforts across the region. With Saudi Arabia taking the lead, Arab states are ramping up economic, diplomatic and security cooperation, signaling a new phase in efforts to stabilize and rebuild the war-torn country.

“Arab states are invested in Syria’s recovery,” said Saboungi. “Which is why I think they helped ‘warm’ the Trump administration to Al-Sharaa and gave the US the confidence to be bold in Syria.”

Signs of this momentum also emerged on May 20, when Jordan and Syria signed an agreement to form a Higher Coordination Council, highlighting deepening bilateral ties. Talks focused on expanding energy cooperation and linking electric grids to support Syria’s reconstruction and transition.




Syria's interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (C-L) receiving Jordan's top diplomat, Ayman Safadi, in Damascus on May 20, 2025. (SANA via AFP)

The effort is multilayered. In April, Saudi Arabia announced plans to pay off Syria’s $15 million World Bank debt — a move intended to unlock international reconstruction grants and further integrate Syria into the region’s economic framework.

According to Saboungi, regional powers have strong incentives to push for sanctions relief. “Arab countries and Turkiye stand to gain immensely from Syria’s reconstruction, but sanctions were deterring serious investment,” he said.

He added that stronger regional trade routes and cross-border pipeline projects — connecting Gulf Cooperation Council countries to Iraq, Turkiye, the Mediterranean and even Azerbaijan — could boost regional economies, promote self-sufficiency and incentivize greater cooperation from Israel.




Syria's Interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (4th from right) attended the 163rd GCC Ministerial Council meeting in Makkah on March 6, 2025. (AFP/File)

Echoing that view, Ghassan Ibrahim, founder of the Global Arab Network, likened sanctions relief to “the fall of the Berlin Wall” for Syrians.

“These restrictions were the wall separating Syria from the rest of the world,” he told Arab News. “Now, Syrians feel more open and optimistic — there’s a growing sense that Syria is a land of opportunity.”

“It’s because of the location of Syria and the potential of Syria in the region, and in the regional aspiration of the Saudis and the economic prosperity that Syria could contribute to this — Syria is at a very sensitive spot on the map,” he told CNN last month.

“Stabilizing Syria could help stabilize the Middle East.”

This optimism is not only economic but also geopolitical. Ibrahim Al-Assil, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, highlighted Syria’s pivotal geography in broader regional ambitions.

Al-Assil argued that a revitalized Syrian economy would directly benefit neighboring countries like Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkiye by enabling refugee returns and unlocking cross-border development.

“Any improvement in the Syrian economy would be felt directly in Lebanon, would be felt directly in Jordan, and that would also open the doors for the Syrian refugees to go back to their countries, similar for Turkiye, also,” he said. “Syria connects Turkiye and Europe to Arabia, and the rest of the Middle East.”




Two boys gesture as a Syrian refugee family moves in a car loaded with belongings from the Jordan-Emirati camp in Azraq, east of Amman, on their way back to Daraa in southern Syria, on June 3, 2025 ahead of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. (AFP)

Beyond economic considerations, security remains a critical concern. Syria’s location at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa has long made it a key player in regional dynamics. But that same geography has also facilitated the spread of captagon, a powerful amphetamine that has flooded Gulf markets.

Syria’s southern border with Jordan — particularly the Nassib crossing — has become a key route for drug smuggling. Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, consider the captagon trade a serious threat to social stability and security. Allegations that the Assad regime used the drug trade as leverage to regain regional acceptance have only added urgency to normalization efforts.

“The Assad regime flooded the region with drugs like captagon, sparking addiction crises in the region, and causing chaos and instability, driving displacement, which added strain to the region,” said Saboungi.




Trucks and people wait to cross into Syria through the Jaber-Nassib border crossing after the Jordanian government allowed for the transport of goods to resume, on December 19, 2024.

A more stable Syria would help curb drug smuggling and reduce the flow of illegal weapons. “It would also help curb or even prevent a resurgence of Daesh,” said Saboungi. “The interim Syrian government’s efforts to disrupt and apprehend smuggling networks also helps promote border security and reduces the illegal flow of weapons.”

Though territorially defeated in 2019, Daesh remains active in Syria, with about 2,500 fighters operating primarily in the east and northeast. Persistent instability and a diminished foreign military presence have allowed the organization to regroup, especially in areas near the Euphrates River and major cities like Damascus.

FAST FACTS

• Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 over Assad’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

• It was readmitted in May 2023, signaling a regional push for normalization despite persistent challenges.

• The isolated Assad regime relied on support from Russia and Iran to defy sanctions throughout the civil war.

Addressing this threat requires coordinated counterterrorism and stronger governance — something regional actors now see as achievable through reintegration rather than isolation.

Saboungi also highlighted another strategic dimension: countering Iranian influence. “Re-welcoming Syria into the Arab fold would counterbalance Iran’s position and influence in the region,” he said.

Ibrahim of the Global Arab Network agreed, suggesting that many regional powers view sanctions relief as a way to shift Syria away from reliance on Iran and, to a lesser extent, Russia — toward more moderate Arab and global partnerships.




Syria's interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (C-R), together with Jordan's FM Ayman Safadi (C-L), join European Union officials in a photo session on the sidelines of the Brussels IX Conference “Standing with Syria: meeting the needs for a successful transition”, at The Europa Building in Brussels on March 17, 2025. (AFP)

“One of the key impacts of lifting sanctions is improved security — both inside Syria and across the region,” he said. “It’s also likely to influence the government’s behavior, encouraging it to choose more constructive partners.

“When Syria was under heavy sanctions, it had limited options and would engage with anyone willing to offer support. But now, with sanctions being lifted quickly, the government is being pushed to align itself with more moderate actors.”

Iran’s regional role has long been a point of contention. Its support for proxy groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis, pursuit of nuclear capabilities, and efforts to undermine state institutions through militias have alarmed both Arab and Western policymakers.

“Arab countries welcome the chance to build a more stable and prosperous Syria,” said Saboungi. “They think Al-Sharaa can accomplish that. He needs help, though, and sanctions relief is a prerequisite.”




The presence of Iranian and Hezbollah military units in Syria during the Assad regime had become magnets of air strikes by Israel. (AFP/File)

He added that regional actors are exhausted by conflict and are eager for a future focused on growth and stability. “This is a bold and refreshing Middle East foreign policy,” said Saboungi. “The Trump administration is signaling that regional problems need regional solutions.”

That shift reflects a departure from traditional US interventionism. “Instead of dictating policy, the US listened to what Arab countries and Turkiye were saying to it. They want to stabilize Syria and want the US to lift sanctions to enable them to do that.”

And then there is the possibility of doing business. “I’m sure President Trump also did not want US companies to be held back by sanctions and not be able to compete for lucrative deals in Syria’s reconstruction,” said Saboungi.

The new policy recalibrates US-Arab relations and sends a message. “Israel is no longer the only voice Washington listens to in the region,” he said.

“The administration is clearly pushing for harmony in the region, but it is also not waiting on Israel anymore. It has decided to strike ahead with improving or cultivating closer relations with each country, such as Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran, even if dialogue or normalization with Israel stalls.”




The Arab League welcomed Syria back to the fold in 2023, 12 years after suspending its membership over his crackdown against peaceful protests, eventually escalating into a civil war. (AFP/File)

Syria’s path back to the fold began with a long exile. In November 2011, the Arab League suspended Syria in response to the Assad regime’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

Still, Syria remained central to Arab diplomacy. Over time, countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia shifted their approach, seeking to curb Iranian and Turkish sway.

These evolving dynamics paved the way for Syria’s return to the Arab League in 2023, after 12 years of isolation, despite lingering concerns about the Assad regime’s conduct.

Following Assad’s ouster in December 2024, Saudi Arabia quickly emerged as the lead Arab player in Syria’s reentry. In January 2025, Riyadh hosted Syria’s new foreign minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani, marking the first high-level meeting since the leadership change.




Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani (R) receives his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan in Damascus on January 24, 2025, during Farhan's first visit to Syria since strongman Bashar al-Assad's ouster. (AFP)

That same month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Damascus, highlighting support for Syria’s recovery. Then, in February, Al-Sharaa made his first official foreign trip to the Kingdom, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss deepening diplomatic and economic ties.

Other Gulf states have since followed suit, pledging support for Syria’s reconstruction. The international community is watching closely to see how the new government treats minorities and maintains stability.

After more than a decade of turmoil, Syria’s return to the Arab world may finally be within reach. But its success hinges on the careful balancing of regional interests, global engagement and a genuine commitment to rebuilding a fractured nation.
 

 


Attacks against Palestinians intensify in occupied West Bank, says UN rights office

Updated 4 sec ago
Follow

Attacks against Palestinians intensify in occupied West Bank, says UN rights office

  • About 30,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the north of the occupied West Bank since the Israeli military launched its ‘Iron Wall’ operation
  • In June, the UN recorded the highest monthly count of Palestinians injured in over two decades in the West Bank
GENEVA: There has been an increase in killings of and attacks against Palestinians by settlers and security forces in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks, the United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday.
“Israeli settlers and security forces have intensified their killings, attacks and harassment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the past weeks,” Thameen Al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHCR), told reporters in Geneva.
About 30,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the north of the occupied West Bank since the Israeli military launched its “Iron Wall” operation.
It is contributing to the ongoing consolidation of annexation of the West Bank, in violation of international law, the OHCHR said.
In June, the UN recorded the highest monthly count of Palestinians injured in over two decades in the West Bank.
Since January there have been 757 settler attacks on Palestinians or their properties, which is a 13 percent increase on the same period last year, OHCHR said.
At least 964 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Fifty-three Israelis have been killed in the West Bank and in Israel in reported attacks by Palestinians or in armed clashes, the office added.

One in ten children screened in UNRWA clinics are malnourished, says UN Palestinian refugee agency

Updated 6 min 29 sec ago
Follow

One in ten children screened in UNRWA clinics are malnourished, says UN Palestinian refugee agency

GENEVA: One in ten children screened in clinics run by the United Nations refugee agency in Gaza is malnourished, UNRWA said on Tuesday.
"Our health teams are confirming that malnutrition rates are increasing in Gaza, especially since the siege was tightened more than four months ago on the second of March," UNRWA's Director of Communications, Juliette Touma, told reporters in Geneva via a video link from Amman, Jordan.


Israel military says striking Hezbollah targets in east Lebanon

Updated 34 min 29 sec ago
Follow

Israel military says striking Hezbollah targets in east Lebanon

  • Israel's military said: “Moments ago, Israeli Air Force fighter jets... began numerous strikes toward Hezbollah terror targets in the area of Beqaa, Lebanon”

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said it was striking targets belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, the latest attack despite a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.
“Moments ago, Israeli Air Force fighter jets... began numerous strikes toward Hezbollah terror targets in the area of Beqaa, Lebanon,” it said in a statement.
“The military compounds that were struck were used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization for training and exercising terrorists to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against (Israeli) troops and the State of Israel,” it added.
The statement said an Israeli military operation in September 2024 had “eliminated” Radwan force commanders in Beirut and southern Lebanon, but that “since then the unit has been operating to reestablish its capabilities.”
“The storage of weapons and the activities of the Hezbollah terrorist organization at these sites constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and constitute a future threat to the State of Israel,” it added.
Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, including two months of all-out war that left the group severely weakened.
Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, leaving the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the region.
Israel was required to fully withdraw its troops from the country but has kept them in five places it deems strategic.


Drone attack shuts Iraq oil field run by US company

Updated 15 July 2025
Follow

Drone attack shuts Iraq oil field run by US company

  • The Kurdistan natural resources ministry said the Sarsang oil field in Duhok province was hit
  • Strike called ‘an act of terrorism against the Kurdistan Region’s vital economic infrastructure’

IRBIL, Iraq: A drone strike forced a US company to suspend operations at an oil field in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region Tuesday, amid a wave of similar attacks targeting the region’s energy infrastructure.

The Kurdistan natural resources ministry said the Sarsang oil field in Duhok province was hit, calling the strike “an act of terrorism against the Kurdistan Region’s vital economic infrastructure.”

The attack followed a similar drone strike a day earlier in neighboring Irbil province.

HKN Energy, the US company, said Tuesday’s blast occurred at about 7:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) at one of its production facilities in the Sarsang field.

“Operations at the affected facility have been suspended until the site is secured,” it said in a statement.

A fire broke out following the explosion, which did not cause any casualties.

Emergency response teams have contained the blaze, the company said later in an update.

In the past few weeks, there has been a spate of drone and rocket attacks mostly affecting Kurdistan.

Long plagued by conflict, Iraq has frequently experienced such attacks, often linked to regional proxy struggles.

The explosion in Sarsang field occurred a day after three explosive-laden drone attacks were reported in Kurdistan, with one drone shot down near Irbil airport, which hosts US troops, and another two hitting the Khurmala oil field causing material damage.

There has been no claim of responsibility for those attacks.

But, on July 3, the Kurdistan authorities said a drone was downed near Irbil airport, blaming the Hashed Al-Shaabi – a coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitaries now integrated into the regular armed forces.

The federal government in Baghdad rejected the accusation.

The latest attacks come at a time of heightened tension between Baghdad and Irbil over oil exports, with a major pipeline through Turkiye shut since 2023 over legal disputes and technical issues.

In May, Iraq’s federal authorities filed a complaint against the autonomous Kurdistan region for signing gas contracts with two US companies, including HKN Energy.


Syria defense minister announces ceasefire in Druze-majority Sweida

Updated 19 min 23 sec ago
Follow

Syria defense minister announces ceasefire in Druze-majority Sweida

  • A curfew was to be imposed on the southern city of Sweida in a bid to halt the violence
  • Syrian troops had begun moving toward the city on Monday, taking control of at least one Druze village

DAMASCUS: Syria’s defense minister announced a ceasefire in the Druze-majority city of Sweida on Tuesday after government forces entered the city to end deadly clashes with Bedouin tribes.

“To all units operating within the city of Sweida, we declare a complete ceasefire after an agreement with the city’s notables and dignitaries,” Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra posted on X. Clashes had erupted between government forces and Druze fighters after contradictory statements from Druze religious leaders, with most urging fighters to lay down their arms.
Syrian government forces entered the majority Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday, the interior ministry said, aiming to end clashes with Bedouin tribes that have killed nearly 100 people.

The southern city had been under the control of armed factions from the Druze minority, whose religious leaders said they had approved the deployment of Damascus’s troops and called on fighters to hand over their weapons.

A curfew was to be imposed on the southern city in a bid to halt the violence, which erupted at the weekend and has since spread across Sweida governorate.

Government forces said they intervened to separate the two sides but ended up taking control of several Druze areas around Sweida, an AFP correspondent reported.

Military columns were seen advancing toward Sweida on Tuesday morning, with heavy artillery deployed nearby.

The defense ministry said later that they had entered the city, and urged people to “stay home and report any movements of outlaw groups.”

An AFP correspondent heard explosions and gunshots as soldiers moved into Sweida.

Troops had begun heading toward the city on Monday, taking control of at least one Druze village, with one Druze faction saying talks were underway with the Damascus government.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported 99 people killed since the fighting erupted on Sunday — 60 Druze, including four civilians, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel and seven unidentified people in military uniforms.

The defense ministry reported 18 deaths among the ranks of the armed forces.

While Druze religious authorities had called on Monday evening for a ceasefire and said they didn’t oppose the central government, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, one of the three Druze spiritual leaders in Sweida, opposed the arrival of the security forces and called for “international protection.”

Israel, which has attempted to portray itself as a protector of the Druze in Syria and sees them as potential allies, bombed several Syrian tanks on Monday.

The strikes were “a clear warning to the Syrian regime – we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz, whose country has its own Druze population.

The fighting underscores the challenges facing interim leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces ousted president Bashar Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war.

Syria’s pre-war Druze population was estimated at around 700,000, many of them concentrated in Sweida province.

The Druze, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shiite Islam, are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Following deadly clashes with government forces in April and May, local and religious leaders reached an agreement with Damascus under which Druze fighters had been providing security in the province.

“We lived in a state of extreme terror – the shells were falling randomly,” said Abu Taym, a 51-year-old father.

Amal, a 46-year-old woman, said: “We fear a repeat of the coastal scenario,” referring to massacres in March of more than 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians in northwest Syria, where groups affiliated with the government were blamed for most of the killings.

“We are not against the state, but we are against surrendering our weapons without a state that treats everyone the same,” she added.

In a post on X, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra urged his troops to “protect your fellow citizens” from “outlaw gangs,” and to “restore stability to Sweida.”

The violence began on Sunday when Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor on the highway to Damascus, prompting retaliatory kidnappings.

The Observatory said members of Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslims, had sided with security forces during earlier confrontations with the Druze.

Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, and violence occasionally erupts between the two sides.