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Including Syria.. New Directions for U.S. Middle East Policy with Trump's Return
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Trump's multiple meetings with Syrian and Lebanese opposition reveal clear interest in reshaping U.S. policy in the region
Republican presidential election winner Donald Trump pledged to adopt a firm approach in the region, confirming his intention to demand "an immediate ceasefire and move towards negotiations," without revealing additional details.
The equations in the Middle East region changed after Trump's victory, after eyes were watching Biden administration policies when Democratic candidate Kamala Harris's chances seemed favorable.
The Washington Post quoted sources saying that the Biden administration was planning to provide support to Syria to reduce Iranian influence, indicating American and Israeli desire to help Damascus prevent weapons flow to Hezbollah.
U.S. and Israeli officials believe that the Syrian regime's president might support these steps given his dissatisfaction with Iranian infiltration in Damascus, with Washington ready to provide reciprocal positive initiatives.
Syrian opposition figure Ayman Abdel Nour revealed intensive contacts with both Democratic and Republican parties, indicating they were informed about freezing the anti-normalization law with the Syrian regime for about a year.
He explained that freezing some Caesar Act provisions following the February 2023 earthquake became an adopted approach, facilitating various projects, including gas and oil transport lines through Syrian territory.
There was a disparity in communication levels between the two camps, where Trump held 4 direct meetings with Syrians and Lebanese, plus 15 meetings for his advisers and family, versus one Zoom meeting with Harris. The Syrian opposition figure confirmed that Trump pledged to direct warnings to Iran to stop militia support, with restrictions on its financial resources.
Meanwhile, Bassam Ishaq, Syrian Democratic Council representative in Washington, expressed Kurdish caution about the next phase, questioning the fate of U.S. forces in northeastern Syria.
Observers questioned the possibility of moving stagnant waters in the Syrian crisis, and the extent of Trump's commitment to his electoral promises to resolve intertwined conflicts in the region, awaiting his official assumption of power on January 20.
Levant-Agencies
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