The Voice News – The United States has issued a dire warning over Syria’s stability, cautioning that the country may face an “imminent collapse and widespread civil war” within weeks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounded the alarm during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
According to a BBC report dated May 21, Rubio called for urgent international support for Syria’s transitional authority, warning that without global engagement, its chances of survival are “zero.”
“Our assessment indicates that the interim authority could collapse within weeks, potentially plunging Syria into a new, large-scale civil war,” Rubio stated.
Rubio also backed former President Donald Trump’s recent decision to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria. Just last week, Trump met with Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharar, during a summit in Saudi Arabia. Sharar, a former al-Qaeda commander, led the rebel forces that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s government in December.
Explaining Trump’s rationale, Rubio noted that many countries are ready to support Sharar’s administration and deliver humanitarian aid but have been restrained by existing U.S. sanctions.
“Regional nations want to help and send aid,” he said. “But they are held back by our sanctions.”
The U.S. originally imposed the sanctions in response to atrocities committed by Assad’s forces throughout Syria’s devastating 13-year civil war, which has claimed over 600,000 lives and displaced more than 12 million people. The State Department had previously outlined several conditions for lifting sanctions, including the protection of religious and ethnic minorities.
Though Sharar has pledged to uphold these commitments, the country has recently witnessed a surge in sectarian violence. In March, around 900 civilians—mainly from Assad’s Alawite sect—were reportedly killed by pro-government forces in the western coastal region. In early May, over 100 people were killed during clashes involving Druze minorities, newly formed security forces, and Sunni Islamist fighters near Damascus and in the southern province of Suwayda.
These developments have sparked growing concerns among Syria’s minority communities. The transitional authority is currently dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist group still listed as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.
After their meeting, Trump described Sharar as a “young, charismatic, and strong former fighter,” expressing optimism that he could unite Syria. Sharar hailed the lifting of sanctions as a “historic and courageous decision.”
Meanwhile, the European Union has also announced plans to remove economic sanctions on Syria. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated, “We want to support the Syrian people in building a new, inclusive, and peaceful Syria.”