US Sets Conditions for Syria Sanctions Relief in Unprecedented Meeting

The United States has presented Syria with a list of conditions it must meet to receive partial sanctions relief, marking the first high-level direct contact between Damascus and Washington since President Donald Trump took office, Al Jazeera reports.

The demands, delivered in person by US Deputy Assistant Secretary Natasha Franceschi to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani on the sidelines of a Syria donor conference in Brussels on March 18, signal a potential shift in US policy toward the war-torn nation.

Reuters spoke to six sources familiar with the matter, including US officials, a Syrian source, a regional diplomat, and sources in Washington, all of whom requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the high-level diplomacy.

The list of conditions includes:

•  Destruction of remaining chemical weapons stores.

•  Cooperation on “counterterrorism” efforts.

•  Removal of foreign fighters from senior governing roles. Specifically, the US is concerned about the appointment of foreign ex-rebels, including Uyghurs, Jordanians, and Turks, to the Syrian defense ministry.

•  Appointment of a liaison to assist US efforts to locate Austin Tice, the American journalist who went missing in Syria over a decade ago.

In exchange for fulfilling these demands, Washington would provide some level of sanctions relief. The specifics of the relief and a timeline for compliance were not provided by the US side.

Neither Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the US Department of State responded to requests for comment on the matter.

The demands come as Syria grapples with a severe economic crisis, exacerbated by nearly 14 years of conflict and crippling sanctions imposed by the US, the United Kingdom, and Europe. These sanctions have targeted individuals, businesses, and entire sectors of the Syrian economy in an attempt to pressure now-ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.

While the US issued a six-month general license in January to ease the flow of humanitarian aid, it has been deemed insufficient to address the widespread economic challenges. Syrian officials, including al-Shaibani and interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, have been vocal in their calls for the complete lifting of sanctions, arguing they are unjust following al-Assad’s toppling by a rebel offensive in December.