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.



Iraq Says 50 Israeli Warplanes Planes Violated Its Airspace

Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the UN Dr. Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi, speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict at the UN headquarters in New York on June 20, 2025. (AFP)
Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the UN Dr. Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi, speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict at the UN headquarters in New York on June 20, 2025. (AFP)
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Iraq Says 50 Israeli Warplanes Planes Violated Its Airspace

Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the UN Dr. Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi, speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict at the UN headquarters in New York on June 20, 2025. (AFP)
Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the UN Dr. Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi, speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict at the UN headquarters in New York on June 20, 2025. (AFP)

Iraq's representative to the United Nations said 50 Israeli warplanes planes violated Iraqi airspace shortly before a UN meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict on Friday.

Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi, charge d'affaires of Iraq's UN mission, told the UN Security Council the aircraft came from the Syrian-Jordanian border areas.

"Twenty airplanes started, followed by 30 airplanes heading to the south of Iraq, and they flew over Basra, Najaf and Karbala cities," he said.

"These violations are violations of international law and the UN Charter," he said, adding: "They also constitute a threat to the sacred sites and regions which might cause strong popular reactions, considering the importance of these holy sites for our peoples."