US envoy meets with Syrian president after sanctions lifted

The US ambassador to Turkey, who also serves as the envoy to Syria, announced on Saturday that he had met with Syria’s leader following the recent easing of US sanctions on the country.

Tom Barrack met with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Istanbul and emphasized America’s continued support for the Syrian people after years of conflict and hardship. In a statement, Barrack said, “I reiterated the US support for the Syrian people after so many years of conflict and violence... President Trump’s goal is to enable the new government to create the conditions for the Syrian people to not only survive but thrive.”

Read more: US formally lifts sanctions on Syria

He further highlighted that the lifting of sanctions aims to maintain the primary US objective—the lasting defeat of Daesh—while providing Syrians with hope for a better future.

The meeting included Syria’s foreign minister, Assaad Al-Shaibani, and was confirmed by the Syrian president’s office.

Earlier on the same day, Sharaa also met with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. Both leaders expressed their commitment to cooperate in addressing terrorism threats in Syria.

Since the ousting of Bashar Al-Assad, Syria’s new administration has sought to improve relations with Western countries and ease economic sanctions. However, some governments have hesitated due to concerns over the extremist backgrounds of some key figures in the new leadership.

The European Union announced the removal of sanctions earlier this month, with the US following suit last Friday.