SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The United States said on Wednesday it had no plans to “normalize or upgrade” diplomatic relations with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to Reuters.
“The United States will not normalize or upgrade our diplomatic relations with the Assad regime nor do we encourage others to do so, given the atrocities inflicted by the Assad regime on the Syrian people,” Reuters cited a U.S. state department spokesperson as saying.
“Assad has regained no legitimacy in our eyes, and there is no question of the U.S. normalizing relations with his government at this time.”
The United States has suspended its diplomatic presence in Syria since 2012.
The U.S. President Donald Trump administration last June imposed its most sweeping sanctions over targeting Assad and his circle to choke off revenue for his government in a bid to force it back to United Nations-led negotiations and broker and end to the country’s decade-long war.
Officials in Jordan, a U.S. ally, and Lebanon have urged the United States to ease sanctions on Syria.
“We believe that stability in Syria, and the greater region, can only be achieved through a political process that represents the will of all Syrians and we are committed to working with allies, partners, and the UN to ensure that a durable political solution remains within reach,” Reuters quoted the State Department spokesperson as saying.
Assad has recovered most of Syria but some areas remain outside his control. Turkish forces are deployed in much of the north and northwest, the last rebel stronghold, and U.S. forces are stationed in the Kurdish-controlled east and northeast.
