Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate on Tuesday that the United States eased sanctions on Syria last week out of urgent concern that the transitional government could collapse within weeks, reigniting full-scale civil war.

Rubio explained that the administration's internal assessment warned of “a full-scale civil war of epic proportions — basically the country splitting up” if support was not extended to the new leadership in Damascus.

The reversal came after President Donald Trump held an unexpected meeting in Saudi Arabia with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a figure long designated by the U.S. as a terrorist due to his leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group that formerly had ties to al-Qaeda.

Sanctions Lifted Amid Geopolitical Recalibration

President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions shocked several Republican lawmakers wary of Sharaa’s Islamist background and the makeup of the new government. “If we didn’t engage them, it was guaranteed to not work out,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, defending the pragmatic shift.

The Trump administration had previously criticized the transitional government’s lack of inclusivity and remained cautious about its ideological orientation. However, faced with the risk of Syria’s rapid disintegration, officials opted to engage diplomatically and economically.

European Union Follows U.S. Lead — Cautiously

Following Washington’s lead, European officials accelerated efforts to lift sectoral sanctions on Syria while maintaining restrictions on figures associated with the Assad regime and sectarian violence. EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized that the decision is reversible, stating, “There can be no peace without the path to economic recovery.”

Sanctions on Syria’s central bank are expected to be lifted by June 1, a move that could reopen financial ties and trade routes with the continent. However, European officials warned they would reimpose restrictions if the transitional government fails to maintain security and continues sectarian policies.