US Official: Sanctions Contributed to Devaluation of Syrian Pound

Syrian pounds are pictured inside an exchange currency shop in Azaz, Syria February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Syrian pounds are pictured inside an exchange currency shop in Azaz, Syria February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
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US Official: Sanctions Contributed to Devaluation of Syrian Pound

Syrian pounds are pictured inside an exchange currency shop in Azaz, Syria February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Syrian pounds are pictured inside an exchange currency shop in Azaz, Syria February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey said US sanctions and measures contributed to the devaluation of the Syrian pound against the dollar.

In a video meeting that was attended by his Deputy Assistant Secretary Joel Rubin on Sunday, Jeffrey said that Washington made a proposal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad through a third party to end the crisis.

Washington wants a political process that shouldn’t necessarily change the regime but at least change its attitude and support of terrorist groups and Iran, he continued.

Regarding the economic crisis, he said that the US sanctions against Damascus contributed to the collapse of the Syrian current and that the regime "is incapable of managing an effective economic policy and conducting money-laundry in Lebanese banks."

Moreover, Rubin said that the Caesar Act covers individuals and companies. Responding to a question on ruling out the Kurdish administration from this act, he said that if anyone wishes to invest in energy and construction in self-administered zones then this is out of the US administration's interest.

Meanwhile, Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis said that stabilizing the exchange rate between 2017-2020 required USD20 billion.

Khamis added that calls are ongoing with friendly states to discuss possible ways to reinforce the lira’s value.



4 Hezbollah Members Among 71 Fighters Killed in Syria's Palmyra

Smoke billows following an explosion after an attack on the historic city of Palmyra, Syria November 20, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. via REUTERS
Smoke billows following an explosion after an attack on the historic city of Palmyra, Syria November 20, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. via REUTERS
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4 Hezbollah Members Among 71 Fighters Killed in Syria's Palmyra

Smoke billows following an explosion after an attack on the historic city of Palmyra, Syria November 20, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. via REUTERS
Smoke billows following an explosion after an attack on the historic city of Palmyra, Syria November 20, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. via REUTERS

Israeli strikes killed 71 pro-Iran operatives in the Syrian city of Palmyra, with more than a third of them identified as fighters from Iraq and Lebanon, a monitor said Thursday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said those killed in Wednesday's strikes included 45 fighters from pro-Iran Syrian groups, 26 foreign fighters, most of them from the Iraqi Al-Nujaba movement, and four from Lebanon's Hezbollah armed group.

The strikes targeted three sites in the city renowned for its ancient ruins, including one that hit a meeting of pro-Iranian groups with leaders from Al-Nujaba and Hezbollah.

Syria said the Israeli strikes on the central city killed 36 people and wounded more than 50 others, in the latest toll issued by the defense ministry, according to Agence France Presse.

"The Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the direction of the Al-Tanf area, targeting a number of buildings in the city of Palmyra," it said on Wednesday.