Latest news with #al-Sharaa
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Israel attacks western Syria despite recent indirect talks to calm tensions
Israel has struck western Syria, the Israeli military and Syrian state media have reported, in the first such aerial attack on the country in almost a month, the day after the United States envoy to Damascus said conflict between the neighbouring countries is 'solvable'. Syrian state media reported late Friday that one person was killed and three others injured by an Israeli air strike on the coastal city of Latakia. The SANA news agency said earlier that the Israeli military targeted three sites in the countryside of the Latakia and Tartous governorates. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that jets likely to be Israeli struck military sites on the outskirts of Tartous and Latakia, on the Mediterranean coast. The Israeli strike follows Syria acknowledging indirect talks with Israel earlier this month to calm tensions. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it had 'struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria'. 'In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck in the area of Latakia,' it said, adding that it would 'continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens'. The Israeli strike came a day after US envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack's visit to Damascus aimed at rebuilding ties under Syria's new administration, during which he said the conflict between Israel and Syria is 'solvable' and needed to start with 'dialogue'. 'I'd say we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders,' Barrack told journalists on Thursday. The two countries have technically been at war since the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. A state of heightened tension and deep enmity between Israel and Syria accelerated during the 1967 war, which also drew in Egypt and Jordan, and Israel's subsequent occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights. Israel has carried out frequent attacks in Syria both during the Bashar al-Assad rule and since his ouster. Shortly before the fall of al-Assad's regime, Israel seized more Syrian territory near the border, claiming it was concerned about President Ahmed al-Sharaa's interim administration, which it has dismissed as 'jihadist'. During a meeting between US President Donald Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier in May, the US leader urged al-Sharaa to normalise relations with Israel. While al-Sharaa has not commented on possible normalisation with Israel, he has stated his support for returning to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a United Nations buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysis: Trump bets on Gulf in unconventional Syria policy
US President Donald Trump's decision to ease sanctions on Syria is a hopeful but calculated gamble. With Americans now allowed to transact with Damascus and invest in the country, the ball is now in its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's court. How he repays this show of goodwill will determine how the US proceeds. I worked for President Trump for more than two decades, and perhaps I can help explain how he sees this. Trump now shares the growing consensus among Arab leaders: healthy skepticism is fully warranted, but the potential payoff of successful Syrian transformation is enormous — making conditional relief worth a shot. Gulf leaders observe that much hinges on whether al-Sharaa understands that his political survival depends on avoiding errors in judgment that would derail Syria's moment of opportunity. Trump's expectations for Gulf partners reveal that this strategy is anything but haphazard. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE aren't merely sources of funds. They're being positioned as primary architects of Syria's economic revival and political stabilization. These regional neighbors have skin in the game if Syria unravels. Gulf states aim for Syria to not only move past its decades of bloodshed, but become a strategic asset that's crucial for containing regional Iranian influence. Anchoring Syrian reconstruction around Gulf investment creates mutually beneficial relationships that pull Damascus firmly into the Gulf-Arab minded orbit. Türkiye also occupies a unique position in this architecture. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is invested in Syria's new leadership and cannot afford to see the country fragment into chaos. Turkish firms are ready to expand into Syria, creating natural incentives for Ankara to ensure Syria's new government delivers on reform promises. The broader vision is for a Middle Eastern realignment. From the Abraham Accords to emerging economic partnerships, the region is experiencing unprecedented cooperation against destabilizing actors like Iran. Trump's appointment of Thomas Barrack as Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy to Syria is an important sign of how seriously Trump is taking this. I can attest to Barrack's rare combination of regional expertise and hard-nosed business acumen. He won't be bamboozled by slick presentations. His due diligence process will ensure any American assistance reaches legitimate recipients while building transparent institutions Syria desperately needs. He is also a trusted friend of President Trump, giving him leeway to think creatively about solving the Syrian dilemma. Barrack will oversee the conditional sanctions relief program and see how al-Sharaa responds to incentives. Syria can't be used for terrorism or attacks against Israel, it must cooperate on security matters, demonstrate progress on rule of law and building governing institutions. If al-Sharaa fails, penalties return. If he exceeds expectations, more opportunities open up. Success isn't guaranteed. If al-Sharaa is just playing for time or manipulating international opinion, Trump will quickly detect that and is prepared to respond accordingly. The next year is decisive. If Syria's new government delivers on its commitments, a nation long written off as a failed state could become a regional success story. The vision is compelling: visitors from around the world paying tribute to the cradle of civilization, enjoying Syria's majestic nature and history in safety and security. It's not impossible. It will take careful diplomacy, strong leadership — including from Gulf Arab partners and allies — and the courage to engage with complicated actors. Perhaps Syria may even move from being the last country anyone would expect to enter into the Abraham Accords, to being among the next group.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US envoy visits Damascus, says Syria-Israel conflict ‘solvable'
The United States envoy to Syria says the conflict between Israel and Syria is 'solvable' as he visited the capital, Damascus and praised the interim government, as the political and economic thaw between the nation and Western powers continues apace. Thomas Barrack, who raised the flag over the US ambassador's residence for the first time since it closed in 2012 amid Syria's civil war, said solving the issues between Syria and Israel needed to start with 'dialogue'. 'I'd say we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders,' he told journalists on Thursday. In recent months, the US has begun rebuilding ties with Syria under its new administration. Earlier in May, the US also lifted sanctions on the country in a surprise announcement, offering a nation devastated by nearly 14 years of war a critical lifeline. The European Union followed suit days later. Barrack said that Syria would also no longer be deemed by the US as a state sponsor of 'terrorism', saying the issue was gone 'with the [former President Bashar al-Assad regime being finished', but added that the US Congress still had a six-month review period. 'America's intent and the president's vision is that we have to give this young government a chance by not interfering, not demanding, by not giving conditions, by not imposing our culture on your culture,' Barrack said. Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera's Mahmoud Abdel Wahed said the warming ties between Syria, the US and other Western countries were a 'major shift in the political dynamic of the region'. Wahed explained that as Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani continues to meet representatives from Western countries and officials from the European Union and the United Nations, it will bring 'a lot of benefits' for the new Syrian administration and the Syrian people. 'This is some kind of recognition of the new leadership – giving a chance to the new leadership to boost its economy, to bring more Western investment to help the government rebuild war-torn Syria,' he added. Since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and Israel's subsequent occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights, the two countries have had a fraught relationship. Shortly after al-Assad was deposed in December following a lightning offensive by opposition fighters, Israel seized more Syrian territory near the border, claiming it was concerned about the interim administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa. Israel has carried out frequent attacks in Syria both during the al-Assad rule and since his ouster. During a meeting between US President Donald Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier in May, the US leader urged al-Sharaa to normalise relations with Israel. While al-Sharaa has not commented on possible normalisation with Israel, he has supported a return to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a United Nations buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
Boston Globe
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump's Warming Toward Syria Complicates Israel's Military Strategy
Israel has also called the new Syrian government, led by an Islamist rebel faction once linked to al-Qaida, 'extremist.' Advertisement But just days after Israel's May 2 airstrike near the palace in Damascus, President Donald Trump upended decades of U.S. foreign policy by meeting with President Ahmad al-Sharaa of Syria and announcing plans to lift all sanctions on the country. Trump said al-Sharaa had 'a real shot at pulling it together,' after a nearly 14-year civil war fractured his country. Since that meeting May 14, the Israeli strikes on Syria have all but stopped. The United States is Israel's staunchest and most powerful ally. But Trump's surprise embrace of al-Sharaa not only offered the new Syrian leader an unexpected lifeline, it also appears to have undercut efforts by the hard-line Israeli government to seize on the instability in Syria and the weakness of the new government to prevent the rise of another anti-Israel neighbor. Advertisement 'Israel has serious doubts about his true intention and the pragmatic image that he is trying to project,' Carmit Valensi, a senior researcher at the think tank Institute for National Security Studies, said of al-Sharaa. Before Trump's declaration of confidence in the new Syrian leader, Netanyahu and his top aides in Israel had been determined to deny al-Sharaa and his nascent government access to the vast array of heavy weaponry amassed by the Assad regime over its decades in power. 'The most significant part of the Israeli airstrikes in Syria over the past four months was aimed against strategic weapons that were under the possession of the former Syrian army,' Valensi said, adding that the Israeli government now appears to be starting to find ways to avoid more confrontation. 'All of this is indicating a direction of deconfliction and de-escalation and more willingness to open a dialogue with the Syrian regime,' she said. Publicly, Israeli officials have described a number of drivers behind their attacks on Syria. One was a kinship with the Druse religious minority in Syria, who practice an offshoot of Islam. About 150,000 Druse live in Israel, serve in the military and participate in politics. In a statement last month, the Israeli military vowed to assist Druse communities in Syria 'out of a deep commitment to our Druse brothers in Israel.' The Druse in Syria have long controlled the strategically located Sweida region in the southwest near Israel, but are not seen as a threat by the Israelis. In late April, when fierce sectarian clashes broke out between Druse militia fighters and forces linked to Syria's new government, Israel offered to come to the aid of the Druse. Advertisement Israeli leaders said the airstrike near the presidential palace was a warning to al-Sharaa to stop the attacks on the Druse. But the motivations behind the hundreds of strikes on Syria over the past months go beyond support for the Druse. Israel began its attacks on Syria almost immediately after Assad was driven from power on Dec. 8 after a 24-year tenure, more than half of it spent fighting a bloody civil war. Within about a week of Assad's fall, Israel had conducted more than 450 strikes on Syria, according to the military and humanitarian groups. The attacks took out the entire Syrian navy, fighter jets, drones, tanks, air-defense systems, weapons plants and a wide array of missiles and rockets across the country, according to the Israeli military. The new government in Syria has not attacked Israel since coming to power and has said the country is weary of war and wants to live at peace with all countries. Trump's olive branch to al-Sharaa complicates the Israeli strategy in Syria and is the latest example of how U.S. foreign policy is reshaping the Middle East. 'What we don't want in Syria is in another version of the Houthis,' said Yaakov Amidror, another former national security adviser to Netanyahu and a fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. The Iran-backed Houthis control northern Yemen and have been firing missiles at Israel since the war in the Gaza Strip began, in solidarity with the Palestinians. Al-Sharaa, who has long since distanced himself from his past connections to al-Qaida, insists that he wants to preside over a stable regime and be a reliable partner for Western nations. Advertisement But Israeli officials are skeptical at best. Many around Netanyahu see Syria's new administration as likely to evolve into a stridently Islamist, anti-Israel government. In March, Gideon Sa'ar, the Israeli foreign minister, said the idea that Syria was moving toward a reasonable government was 'ridiculous,' adding that al-Sharaa and his cohorts 'were jihadists and remain jihadists, even if some of their leaders have donned suits.' Still, the sheer volume and scope of Israel's attacks on Syria have drawn criticism from around the world, including from President Emmanuel Macron of France, who met with al-Sharaa in mid-May. 'You cannot ensure the security of your country by violating the territorial integrity of your neighbors,' Macron said of Israel. And even some inside Israel say that a concerted military campaign will not be good for Israel long term. Tamir Hayman, a former head of intelligence for the Israeli military who is the executive director of the Institute of National Security Studies, said he worries that the strikes are creating the very extremism Israel wants to deter. 'I think we are kind of doing it, sort of from momentum, and should reconsider all of those missions that we are conducting,' he said. Military experts say part of the motivation behind the Israeli strikes was Netanyahu's desire to secure the parts of southwestern Syria closest to the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau that Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed. The fear is that groups far more extreme than the Druse could establish a foothold close to Israel, with the ability to threaten Jewish settlements in the Golan Heights or launch attacks deeper into Israel. Advertisement After the Assad regime fell, Israeli troops also seized more Syrian territory. Another Israeli goal in Syria, according to former military officials and analysts, is to limit Turkey's influence in Syria. Israel and Turkey have had a fraught relationship over the years. And President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has moved quickly to establish military and political influence in neighboring Syria, positioning himself as a close ally to the government there. 'If the Turks try to make Syria a base for their military and help the current regime to build capacities that might be used against Israel, there might be conflict,' Amidror said. But it may be the United States' efforts at rapprochement with Syria that end up stymying Israeli military strategy in Syria. Trump said in a speech in Saudi Arabia this month that he hopes Syria's new government will succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace. 'They've had their share of travesty, war, killing,' he said. 'That's why my administration has already taken the first steps toward restoring normal relations.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Euronews
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Syria's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa makes surprise visit to Istanbul
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Istanbul on Saturday. The surprise visit of Syria's interim leader to Istanbul came after his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia. Announced on 29 January as the leader of Syria's interim administration, al-Sharaa made his first visit to Turkey in February at the invitation of President Erdogan. Syria's interim leader, who arrived in Ankara on a plane provided by Turkey, emphasised in his speech that they wanted to transform their relations with Turkey into a "deep strategic cooperation". The meeting took place at the Dolmabahçe Working Office and was attended by Turkish Head of National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) İbrahim Kalın, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkish Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler and Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Şeybani. President Erdogan stated that the EU and the US's move to ease sanctions on Syria was "welcomed by Turkey". The Turkish leader also emphasized the need to protect Syria's territorial integrity, referencing Israeli troops within the country's borders. In turn, the Syrian leader thanked President Erdogan "for his critical support and efforts" in lifting sanctions. US President Donald Trump met with Syria's interim leader al-Sharaa in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, as part of his Middle East tour. The meeting came after the surprise announcement that the US would lift all sanctions against the new Syrian government. Trump's decision to abruptly lift sanctions against Syria has accelerated a long-standing roadmap in Brussels. On 20 May, the European Union decided to lift all remaining economic sanctions against Syria. Despite concerns among some in his administration about the Syrian leadership's past ties to al-Qaeda, Trump signalled a significant policy shift by announcing that he would lift sanctions against Syria at the meeting. President Erdogan attended the meeting online with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Trump. Trump's decision to lift sanctions is seen as a major diplomatic win for al-Sharaa, who overthrew former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December. However, incidents such as the killing of hundreds of Alawite civilians in March showed how fragile the country remains. Western governments, including the United States, condemned these attacks. For years, al-Sharaa was the leader of the official branch of al-Qaeda in Syria. He first joined the organisation in Iraq and spent five years in US prisons. Later, al-Sharaa founded the al-Nusra organisation in Syria, affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Later, he announced his defection from ISIS and founded the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organisation, which is still recognised as a 'terrorist' organisation by many countries. However, things began to change slowly after the overthrow of brutal, long-time dictator Assad. In December, the US cancelled the $10 million bounty on al-Sharaa's head. Israel continues its major offensive in the Gaza Strip, with the military claiming to have struck more than 100 targets in the past 24 hours, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The targets included buildings used by Hamas, a rocket launcher, tunnels and other infrastructure, the IDF claims. At least 60 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in a 24 hour period, Gaza's health ministry said on Friday. On Saturday, six armed Palestinian men who were guarding humanitarian aid trucks—reportedly to prevent them from being looted—were killed in a drone strike by Israeli forces. The IDF alleges the men were members of Hamas, a claim that the group has denied, insisting that they were "members of the aid security and protection teams… who were performing purely humanitarian tasks.' Since easing the aid blockade on Monday, Israel has said that 388 aid trucks have entered Gaza. However, Palestinian aid groups dispute this, stating that only 119 trucks have made it through the Karem Shalom crossing. In a separate development, a recent Associated Press report cited testimonies from Palestinians and Israeli soldiers alleging that Israeli forces have used Palestinian detainees as human shields during operations in Gaza. Dressed in uniform and with a camera on his head, Ayman Abu Hamadan said he was forced into homes in Gaza to check for bombs and gunmen. When an Israeli unit was done with him, he was handed to another. 'They beat me and told me: 'You have no other option; do this or we'll kill you,'' the 36-year-old said, describing the two and a half weeks he was held by the Israeli military in northern Gaza last summer. An Israeli officer, who spoke anonymously out of fear of reprisal, said orders often came from higher up and that many platoons used Palestinians to clear sites. Palestinians and Israeli soldiers told the AP that troops are routinely using Palestinians as human shields in Gaza, forcing them into buildings and tunnels to look for explosives or militants. They said the dangerous practice has become widespread during the 19-month war. While Israel has denied the accusations, it stated that it strictly forbids the use of civilians as human shields and is currently investigating several reported cases. The new round of fighting began when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Hamas took 251 people as hostages, and is currently holding 58, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date killed more than 53,762 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry whose figure does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
