The euphoria that Syrians felt after Bashar al-Assad’s hurried flight from the country in December 2024 came laden with expectations that a better future would quickly follow the collapse of his violent regime. Most understood, however, that this would partly depend on international recognition of the new Islamist authorities.
Reassuring signs came swiftly. Officials from major powers rushed to Damascus to meet Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s new leader, and launched fresh diplomatic and economic ties. In May, President Donald Trump announced the lifting of US sanctions that had stifled the Syrian economy for decades.
