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What Could Follow the U.S. Surprise in Syria?

A former CIA station chief has some thoughts

What Could Follow the U.S. Surprise in Syria?

U.S. President Donald Trump (1st L), Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (C) and Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R, front) attend a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 14, 2025.
U.S. President Donald Trump held a meeting on Wednesday with Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss normalizing bilateral ties, while expressing his willingness to reach a deal with Iran.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud online during the meeting, Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency reported. (Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Xinhua)

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – President Donald Trump made a number of headlines this week as he led an impressive delegation of government and private sector executives to the Middle East but it was a meeting with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and a U.S. announcement that it is lifting sanctions on Syria, that came as perhaps the biggest surprise and offered a strong indicator of how relationships in the Middle East are being reshaped under the president’s second administration.

The move is a big deal in part because until recently, Syria has been an ally and has served as a key strategic location for both Russia and Iran to operate.  Following the collapse of the Syrian regime, those operations in Syria are believed to have been significantly reduced.

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