US and UAE Discuss Lifting Sanctions on Assad in Exchange for Distance from Iran

On Monday, Reuters reported, citing five informed sources, that the US and the UAE have discussed the possibility of lifting Washington's sanctions against Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, if he distances himself from the Iranian government and cuts off the supply routes for weapons to Hezbollah through Syria. The Persian section of Voice of America has contacted the US State Department regarding this matter and will inform its audience after receiving a response. According to Reuters, these discussions have intensified in recent months, partly due to the potential expiration of US sanctions against Syria on December 21, and also due to Israeli attacks on Iranian proxy groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as Iranian positions and equipment in Syria. These discussions took place prior to the recent sudden advances by Assad's opponents in Aleppo and Idlib. According to these sources, the advances of Assad's opponents indicate a kind of weakness in Assad's alliance with the Iranian government; a weakness that the UAE and the US plan to exploit. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, recently discussed the latest developments in Syria with Assad over the phone. The UAE has played a key role in reintegrating Assad into predominantly Sunni Arab countries in recent years and hosted him in 2022 as the first Arab country since the onset of the Syrian civil war. Reuters, citing an informed American source, reported that White House officials have discussed preliminary measures with Emirati officials, considering the UAE's interest in financing Syria's reconstruction and Assad's 'weakened position' following Israeli attacks on Hezbollah. According to him, the possibility of a sanctions exemption for Assad, while heavy Israeli attacks against Iran's allies in Syria continue, creates an 'opportunity' to use a 'carrot and stick' approach to break the alliance between Syria and the Iranian government and Hezbollah. Reuters, citing a diplomat based in the Gulf region, added that the UAE and Saudi Arabia have offered 'financial incentives' to Assad in recent months to distance him from the Islamic Republic, and he believes such an offer cannot be made without coordination with the US. Another informed source reported that Syria was one of the topics discussed during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the UAE on Sunday. The Iranian government has warned Assad not to distance himself from Tehran. Reuters, citing a senior informed diplomat, reported that Ali Larijani, advisor to Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Iranian government, told Assad during his recent visit to Damascus: 'Do not forget the past.' Over the past 13 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxy groups have played a crucial role in the deadly suppression of hundreds of thousands of Assad's opponents and the displacement of millions of Syrian citizens. The role of regional groups and countries in the developments in Syria, according to Hassan Hashemian and Shahin Modarres, includes the entry of Iranian-backed militants into Syria to assist 'Assad', intensifying the conflict between Assad's opponents and the Syrian army; Araqchi's visits to Damascus and Ankara; experts believe that the developments in Syria are due to the weakness of the Iranian and Russian governments. Following the fall of Aleppo, the Syrian army announced a 're-deployment operation.'