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
TT

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.



WHO Chief Says He Was at Yemen Airport as Israeli Bombs Fell Nearby

FILE: A crater is seen on the tarmac of the international airport of Yemen's capital Sanaa, April 29, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
FILE: A crater is seen on the tarmac of the international airport of Yemen's capital Sanaa, April 29, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
TT

WHO Chief Says He Was at Yemen Airport as Israeli Bombs Fell Nearby

FILE: A crater is seen on the tarmac of the international airport of Yemen's capital Sanaa, April 29, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
FILE: A crater is seen on the tarmac of the international airport of Yemen's capital Sanaa, April 29, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

A wave of Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's main airport Thursday just as the World Health Organization’s director-general said he was about to board a flight there. One of the UN plane’s crew was wounded, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.

The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by Yemen's Houthis at the international airport in the capital Sanaa, as well as power stations and ports, alleging they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials, The AP reported.

UN associate spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said the rest of the U.N. team left the airport and are “safe and sound” in Sanaa, and the injured crew member is being treated in a hospital, she said.

Last week, Israeli jets bombed Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people. The US military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days.

Israel's latest wave of strikes in Yemen follows several days of Houthi launches setting off air-raid sirens in Israel. The Houthis have also been targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count.