The US and the UAE have discussed the possibility of lifting sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if he distances himself from Iran and blocks arms transfers to Lebanon's Hezbollah. Damascus has rejected the proposal. Five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Afghan Voice News Agency (AVA)-International Service: Reuters revealed that the US and the UAE had made a tempting offer to separate Damascus from Iran to Syria before the terrorists attacked the city of Aleppo, which Damascus rejected.
According to Arabi 21, Reuters news agency, citing five informed sources, revealed that the US and the UAE had offered the Syrian government that they would consider lifting sanctions against the country if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stopped supporting Iran and cut off all arms transfers to Lebanon's Hezbollah.
According to these sources, as December 20, which is considered the end of the annual period of sanctions against Syria, these whispers have been raised more in diplomatic circles in recent months, and the United States has announced to Bashar al-Assad that in exchange for cutting off its ties with Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iran and the regional axis of resistance, the country's sanctions against Syria will not be extended.
The report adds that the aforementioned disputes took place before the military operation of armed terrorist groups against Aleppo and ended in failure, and after that, the largest terrorist attack on the city of Aleppo in recent years took place.
Pressure to separate Syria from Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi traveled to Syria on Sunday in support of Assad. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also discussed the latest developments with Assad during a phone call.
The UAE has played a key role in returning Assad to the Arab community. The country hosted Assad in 2022, his first visit to an Arab country since the start of the war.
The sources added that the UAE has long sought to reduce Assad’s ties with Iran and is considering establishing trade relations with Syria, but US sanctions have limited these efforts.
The US has imposed sanctions on Syria since 2011, the most severe of which, the Caesar Act, was passed in 2019. These sanctions target various sectors of the Syrian economy and individuals who cooperate with the government of Bashar al-Assad.
Some US and Syrian sources said that the UAE had proposed to the US that the Caesar sanctions expire without extension. The proposal included efforts to rebuild Syria and encourage Assad to distance himself from Iran. An effort that failed.