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The meeting came days after President Trump announced he would end sanctions against Syria and met with the country’s president, a former jihadist.
May 15, 2025Updated 3:39 p.m. ET
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syria’s foreign minister on Thursday, the latest sign of growing American support after President Trump announced this week that he was lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria.
The meeting in Antalya, Turkey, came two days after Mr. Trump made the surprise sanctions announcement during a visit to Saudi Arabia, which could throw Syria a desperately needed economic lifeline after nearly 14 years of civil war and decades of dictatorship. The next day, Mr. Trump met Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Shara, a former rebel leader, for the first time.
In their meeting on Thursday, Mr. Rubio and his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, discussed a road map for the sanctions to be lifted, according to statements from the Turkish and Syrian foreign ministries. The exact terms of the process and the timeline remain unclear.
Mr. Rubio told reporters after the meeting that the U.S. goal was to help establish a peaceful, stable Syria. He said he was encouraged by calls from Syria’s new government for a peaceful relationship with Israel and for expelling terrorists from the country.
Mr. Rubio said the Trump administration would begin by issuing a temporary waiver of some sanctions against Syria that were imposed by Congress. This would not only allow American dollars to flow into the country but also free Syria’s neighbors to begin funding the country’s reconstruction without fear of penalties from Washington.
As progress is made, Mr. Rubio said, the Trump administration can eventually ask Congress to permanently repeal remaining sanctions on Syria. “We’re not there yet,” he said. “That’s premature.”
