**Syria on Brink of Catastrophe: Rubio's Civil War Warning**

Senator Rubio warns Syria could collapse into a full-scale civil war within weeks.

More than 100 fatalities have been reported amidst increasing sectarian violence in Syria, igniting concerns from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who cautioned that the nation might be on the verge of a catastrophic collapse. During a recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Rubio stressed the urgent need to back Syria's transitional authorities as fighting erupts between pro-government forces and various religious factions, including Druze gunmen.

The backdrop of Rubio's comments includes President Donald Trump's controversial decision to lift sanctions on Syria in an effort to facilitate aid and support for the newly-installed President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander pivotal in the uprising against Bashar al-Assad. Rubio explained that the rationale behind this move stemmed from numerous nations wanting to assist Sharaa’s administration without the fear of American sanctions hampering their efforts.

Although the U.S. imposed sanctions as a response to the atrocities carried out by Assad's regime during the prolonged civil conflict, which has claimed over 600,000 lives, they now find themselves navigating a complex reality marked by troubling sectarian clashes. Recently, clashes resulting in the deaths of around 900 civilians and security forces have stirred concerns regarding stability under Sharaa's predominantly Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Despite a hands-shake between Trump and Sharaa at a Gulf summit, skepticism remains, especially given Sharaa's designation as a "specially designated global terrorist" by the U.S. government. However, following the sanctions lift, Sharaa praised the U.S. approach as historic, promoting the idea that it could rejuvenate the country and help establish a path towards regional stability.

During his remarks, Rubio highlighted the potential collapse of the transitional authority could lead to a "full-scale civil war of epic proportions," particularly as various minority communities express deep-seated mistrust toward impending governance changes. He underscored that the engagement with transitional authorities can either pave a pathway for recovery or doom them to failure without any intervention.

Simultaneous to U.S. discussions, the European Union's foreign ministers began the process of lifting their own sanctions on Syria, aligning with the notion of supporting the beleaguered Syrian populace in rebuilding a more inclusive future. The Syrian foreign ministry has welcomed these developments, suggesting it signals a new chapter in Syrian-European relations based on cooperation and mutual respect.