The United States confirmed a meeting with Syria’s foreign minister this week and pressed the country’s interim leadership to act on concerns, as sectarian violence escalates against the Druze minority.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani raised Syria’s new flag at the United Nations in New York last Friday, signaling a shift in leadership following the December overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
U.S. representatives met with the Syrian delegation in New York on Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Thursday.
She said the United States urged Syria’s post-Assad authorities to “choose policies that reinforce stability,” but did not offer an assessment of the new leadership’s progress.
"Any future normalization of relations or lifting of sanctions... will depend on the interim authority's actions and positive response to the specific confidence-building measures we have communicated," Bruce told reporters.
The U.S. conditions echo demands made in December under then-President Joe Biden, including the protection of minority groups and preventing Iranian influence in Syria.
Sectarian violence has flared repeatedly since Assad’s ouster by Islamist fighters. On Thursday, the spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community accused the interim authorities of a “genocidal campaign” after two days of clashes left 102 people dead.
"We urge the interim authorities to hold perpetrators of violence and civilian harm accountable for their actions and ensure the security of all Syrians," Bruce said of the violence against Druze.