Trump Says US To Lift Sanctions on Syria,but Iran Won’t Have Nuclear Weapon
By Yadnom Awu /Asaba
America is soon to lift its crippling sanctions on Syria, but insists that Iran would never have the dreaded nuclear weapon.
At an American /Saudi Arabian Investment Forum in Riyadh today, President Donald Trump said diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United States would soon meet to prepare the ground for the effective lifting of the sanctions which it imposed on the country during the regime of former President Assad.
Trump said that the lifting of the sanctions would enable Syria , whose capital, Damascus, is the oldest inhabited city on Earth, to resume its development trajectory.
Syria has been crippled by the sanctions under President Assad who is now in exile in Russia, after his ouster from power, six months ago.
Trump hinted that Iran would never be allowed to develop and possess the nuclear weapon in respect of which development talks are ongoing between officials of both America and Iran.
He said that America preferred the option of negotiations, rather than military might, in handling the Iranian nuclear question.
He expressed the hope that Iran would cooperate in exploring the option of dialogue to resolve the nuclear issue.
It remained unclear how Israel , which had pushed for the military option,would react to today’s development.
By publicly opting for negotiations, America appears to be side stepping Israel, its closest ally in the Middle East.
Yesterday, America secured the release of Edan Alexander, the last known living American captive in the custody of Hamas, the Palestinian group that has been battling Israel in Gaza, allegedly without input from Israel.
