Rubio Sounds Alarm Over Potential Syrian Civil War Escalation

In a recent Senate hearing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised an urgent warning about Syria teetering on the brink of total civil war, stressing the need for support for the transitional authorities as sectarian violence intensifies throughout the region.

 

In a concerning address to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that Syria may be just weeks away from a "full-scale civil war of epic proportions." His remarks come on the heels of sectarian clashes that left more than 100 individuals dead in early May, involving pro-government forces and Druze gunmen. Rubio backed President Donald Trump's recent decision to lift sanctions on Syria, aimed at facilitating aid to the new transitional government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, a controversial former al-Qaeda commander.

Rubio explained that Trump's rationale behind lifting the sanctions was to alleviate hesitance from other countries looking to provide assistance, which had been inhibited by fears of punitive measures. The Syrian government has yet to comment on these developments.

The United States previously imposed sanctions in response to widespread atrocities under Bashar al-Assad, leading to massive casualties and displacement over a 13-year civil war. Recent violence, fueled by sectarian strife, includes two deadly outbreaks in the past few months, with thousands reportedly affected.

Despite Sharaa's commitments to protect minority groups, anxiety persists among them regarding the Sunni Islamist influence among the new governing bodies. Notably, Sharaa, despite being labeled a "specially designated global terrorist" by the US, met with Trump during a summit in Saudi Arabia, where Trump's optimistic remarks raised eyebrows.

Reflecting on the fragility of the transitional authority, Rubio stated, "They are maybe weeks, not many months, away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war... it is a torn-up country." He addressed the complex dynamics among Syria's minority communities, which have suffered as a result of Assad's tactics of division.

In line with the US's shift, European Union foreign ministers concurred on lifting sanctions during the same week. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reaffirmed the EU's commitment to supporting the rebuilding of a unified and peaceful Syria, a sentiment echoed by Syrian officials who hailed the easing of tensions as a new beginning for Syrian-European relations.