Syria
Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa received US Special Envoy Tom Barrack in Damascus on May 16, 2026. Photo: Syrian presidency
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Saturday received US Special Envoy Tom Barrack in Damascus, where they discussed efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between Syria and the US.
“President Ahmed al-Sharaa received at the People's Palace in Damascus the US Special Envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani,” read a statement from the Syrian presidency.
“During the meeting, they discussed developments in the situation in Syria and the region, ways to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, in addition to files of mutual interest,” the statement added.
During the US-Israeli war on Iran, Tehran retaliated by firing missiles across the Gulf, Iraq, and other parts of the region. Despite some missiles landing on Syrian territory, Syria largely remained on the sidelines and positioned itself as a potential alternative transit route for oil exports after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz due to an Iranian blockade.
To support recovery and reconstruction efforts, the US and EU have lifted most sanctions imposed on Syria during dictator Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
However, concerns over minority rights and reported human rights violations have continued to draw scrutiny from lawmakers in Washington and Europe. Some members of US Congress have warned they could reimpose sanctions previously lifted in November if commitments on reconstruction and diplomatic engagement are not upheld.
European officials have also stressed that sanctions relief is conditional on verifiable progress in ensuring an inclusive political approach toward Syria’s ethnic and religious communities and improving the human rights situation.
“President Ahmed al-Sharaa received at the People's Palace in Damascus the US Special Envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani,” read a statement from the Syrian presidency.
“During the meeting, they discussed developments in the situation in Syria and the region, ways to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, in addition to files of mutual interest,” the statement added.
During the US-Israeli war on Iran, Tehran retaliated by firing missiles across the Gulf, Iraq, and other parts of the region. Despite some missiles landing on Syrian territory, Syria largely remained on the sidelines and positioned itself as a potential alternative transit route for oil exports after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz due to an Iranian blockade.
To support recovery and reconstruction efforts, the US and EU have lifted most sanctions imposed on Syria during dictator Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
However, concerns over minority rights and reported human rights violations have continued to draw scrutiny from lawmakers in Washington and Europe. Some members of US Congress have warned they could reimpose sanctions previously lifted in November if commitments on reconstruction and diplomatic engagement are not upheld.
European officials have also stressed that sanctions relief is conditional on verifiable progress in ensuring an inclusive political approach toward Syria’s ethnic and religious communities and improving the human rights situation.
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