Top US diplomat for Middle East outlines conditions for Syria sanctions relief

WASHINGTON

A top US diplomat for the Middle East outlined a series of demands Thursday that the Syrian leadership must meet in exchange for any potential sanctions relief, signaling Washington’s openness to re-engagement if progress is made on key fronts.

Tim Lenderking, a senior official in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs under the Trump administration, detailed the US position during a webinar hosted by the National Council on US-Arab Relations.

He emphasized that while sanctions remain in place, there is room for flexibility should the interim authorities demonstrate a change.

“We’re looking for an opportunity where we can build confidence,” Lenderking said. “These are not things that can be remedied overnight, but there’s a keenness on the part of the United States to engage and really see what these guys are made of.”

Key US expectations include credible information on Americans detained or disappeared in Syrian prisons, most notably journalist Austin Tice, according to Lenderking.

He noted that while he was “very pleased” by a Jan. 19 meeting between Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and Tice’s mother, Deborah, “we need to know where he is,” adding that the fate of other missing Americans must also be clarified.

“We are very keen and determined to see that Iran does not gain a foothold back in Syrian territory,” he said, adding that the US also wants guarantees that Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah, will be kept out of Syrian territory.

He urged the Syrian government to continue efforts to combat terrorism—especially ISIS (Daesh)—and welcomed the deal signed in March between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government to "integrate the northeast into a unified Syria."

"We recognize the implementation of these agreements are fraught with challenges, but the parties must come to a solution that ensures that ISIS and any other terror group can never again resurge in Syria," he added.

Lenderking emphasized the need to destroy all chemical weapons and precursors and to adopt non-aggression principles toward neighboring states.

He called for accountability for atrocities committed during the war, including the March violence in Latakia, northwestern Syria, which he attributed to Iran and remnants of the Assad regime.

He also demanded that all foreign fighters be expelled from Syria’s government and security positions.

“We will consider sanctions relief, provided the interim authorities take demonstrable steps in the directions that I have articulated,” he said, “We want Syria to have a second chance.”

Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, marking the end of the Baath Party’s rule that began in 1963, after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus.

A transitional administration was announced on Jan. 29, which is led by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.