What Could Follow the U.S. Surprise in Syria?

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – President Donald Trump made a number of headlines this week as he led an impressive delegation of government and private sector executives to the Middle East but it was a meeting with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and a U.S. announcement that it is lifting sanctions on Syria, that came as perhaps the biggest surprise and offered a strong indicator of how relationships in the Middle East are being reshaped under the president’s second administration.

The move is a big deal in part because until recently, Syria has been an ally and has served as a key strategic location for both Russia and Iran to operate. Following the collapse of the Syrian regime, those operations in Syria are believed to have been significantly reduced.