One Syrian shopkeeper told local reporters, “This is the first good news we’ve had in years. Maybe now we can rebuild our lives.”
Business Interests and AI Diplomacy
Trump’s Syria decision came as he met with tech titans like Elon Musk and other global CEOs during a summit in Saudi Arabia. The event aimed to attract Middle Eastern oligarchs to invest in U.S.-led AI projects, as covered in this MSN article.
Analysts speculate that the shift in sanctions may be part of a broader geopolitical strategy to reposition the U.S. as a dominant player in Middle Eastern tech and energy. And to decrease the pressure on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
International Response
While many Syrians welcomed the news, critics argue the sanctions were in place to curb human rights abuses by the Assad regime. Lifting them, some fear, could legitimize authoritarian governance.
Nonetheless, Trump remains firm in his stance. “We tried the sanctions path, and it didn’t work. Now we try something new,” he said during a live broadcast of the event.
