EU lifts sanctions on Syria, US adds sanctions on Iran

Brussels [Belgium], February 26: Yesterday (Vietnam time), the European Union (EU) announced that from February 24, it would suspend a series of sanctions against Syria, including the energy, banking, transport and reconstruction sectors, according to Reuters.
EU leaders have been considering a possible change in their approach to Syria after the opposition led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) formed a new government in Damascus in December 2024.
At a meeting in Brussels, EU foreign ministers agreed to suspend restrictions on the oil, gas and electricity sectors, lift asset freezes on five banks, ease restrictions on the Syrian central bank and facilitate the country's access to humanitarian aid. In Damascus, Syrian Economy Minister Bassel Abdel Hanan and Jean-Christophe Carret, World Bank Middle East Director, discussed measures to resume bilateral cooperation on February 24, according to AFP.
On the same day, in Geneva (Switzerland), Iran held talks with the European trio of Britain, Germany, and France (E3) on Tehran's nuclear program. The meeting between Iran and the E3 group took place in the context of the US announcing the second round of sanctions against Tehran on the same day since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. This time, the sanctions list includes more than 30 individuals and shipping brokers, shipping lines, including Mr. Hamid Bovard, Deputy Minister of Oil of Iran. Tehran still affirms that its nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes and denies the intention to develop nuclear weapons.
In another development, Israel is being accused of carrying out a number of operations in the West Bank after sending tanks to the area for the first time in more than 20 years.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper