Overview
- Thomas Barrack raised the American flag over the reopened US ambassador’s residence in Damascus for the first time since 2012 as the newly appointed special envoy to Syria.
- President Donald Trump lifted longstanding US sanctions on Syria after meeting interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, prompting the State Department to waive economic restrictions.
- Syria inked a $7 billion agreement with Qatari, US and Turkish companies to rehabilitate its electricity grid and generate 5,000 megawatts of power for reconstruction.
- Barrack announced that Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism will be removed pending a six-month congressional review.
- The US is mediating indirect discussions between Syria and Israel aimed at securing a non-aggression agreement to stabilize tensions over the Golan Heights.