United States (U.S.) Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington supports efforts for the new Syrian government to succeed, warning that its failure could lead to a full civil war and the destabilization of the Middle East.
“We want to help that government succeed because the alternative is a full civil war and chaos, which would, of course, destabilize the entire region,” said Rubio before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
He added that U.S. officials, including embassy staff in Turkey, will work with local partners to assess Syria’s needs, especially regarding assistance in establishing law and order.
“When Syria is unstable, the region is unstable,” Rubio emphasized.
He also stated that lifting sanctions could enable neighboring countries to help the Syrian government build governance mechanisms.
U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced the intention to lift sanctions on Syria during the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum 2025 in Riyadh.
“If we engage them, it might succeed, it might not. If we don’t engage them, it definitely won’t succeed,” Rubio underlined.
His statements come after recent developments, including Trump’s meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, as well as Rubio’s meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Turkey.
Al-Sharaa signed a constitutional declaration in March that launched a five-year transitional phase.
Bashar al-Assad, who had led Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on December 8th, ending the decades-long rule of the Ba’ath Party.
Al-Sharaa, who led the forces against the former regime, was declared transitional president at the end of January.
