Trump Says He May Ease Sanctions on Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with US President Donald Trump during the NATO summit in London, Britain, December 4, 2019. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with US President Donald Trump during the NATO summit in London, Britain, December 4, 2019. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
TT

Trump Says He May Ease Sanctions on Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with US President Donald Trump during the NATO summit in London, Britain, December 4, 2019. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with US President Donald Trump during the NATO summit in London, Britain, December 4, 2019. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he may ease US sanctions on Syria in response to a query from his Turkish counterpart.

Syria has struggled to implement conditions set out by Washington for relief from US sanctions, which keep the country cut off from the global financial system and make economic recovery extremely challenging after 14 years of grinding war.

"We may take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start," Trump told reporters.

He said he had been asked about Syria sanctions by Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Many people have asked me about that, because the way we have them sanctioned, it doesn't really give them much of a start. So we want to see we can help them out," Trump said.



Israel Vows to Prevent an Aid Boat Carrying Greta Thunberg, Activists from Reaching Gaza

Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)
Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)
TT

Israel Vows to Prevent an Aid Boat Carrying Greta Thunberg, Activists from Reaching Gaza

Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)
Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

Israel’s defense minister has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel wouldn't allow anyone to break its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, which he said was aimed at preventing Hamas from importing arms.

Thunberg, a climate campaigner is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, The AP news reported.

The activists had said they planned to reach Gaza’s territorial waters as early as Sunday.

Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, is among the others onboard. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.

After a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade and the war end.

An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.

OSZAR »