Washington should have kept its Syria leverage

The United States has removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism and its designated terrorist groups, aiming to foster a new order in the Middle East under the Trump administration. This move follows the ousting of Bashar Assad by Ahmed al Sharaa’s forces and aligns with the administration’s goal of reintegrating Syria into the international order, offering sanctions relief. However, critics argue that this decision prematurely surrendered U.S. leverage, placing a risky bet on al Sharaa and his Turkish patron, Erdogan, instead of using sanctions as a condition for their good behavior.

• The U.S. removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism and Hay’at Tahrir al Sham from its list of terrorist groups.
• These actions are part of the Trump administration’s effort to shape a new Middle East order.
• Syria was first designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 due to its support for various militant groups and its alliance with the Soviet Union.
• Bashar Assad was recently ousted by forces led by Ahmed al Sharaa, with the U.S. seeing an opportunity to reset relations.
• The U.S. hopes to gain influence with the new Syrian leadership, allied with Turkey, a NATO member.
• Critics argue that the U.S. surrendered its leverage prematurely by removing sanctions relief, instead of using it as a condition for good behavior from al Sharaa and Turkish President Erdogan.