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Washington takes Syria off the state-sponsor list as Pakistan's army chief meets Pezeshkian

The US Treasury revoked Syria's state-sponsor listing and the al-Nusrah designation. Asim Munir met Pezeshkian, Ghalibaf and Rezaei in Tehran. A Reuters/Ipsos poll put support for the Iran war at 31 percent.

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Washington drops Syria's state-sponsor listing and the al-Nusrah designation

The US Treasury said on Monday that it had revoked the decades-old state sponsor of terrorism designation placed on Syria during Assad's rule. The same statement withdrew the global terrorist designation of the al-Nusrah Front, the group now led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa and known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Treasury Secretary Bessent said the step would help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability. The decision had been announced in July, pending a review by Congress, after Washington and the European Union lifted sanctions on Syria in June 2025. The listing had restricted US foreign assistance, defence exports and financial transactions. Central bank governor Safwat Raslan called the delisting a historic step that restores the country to its natural place, and US envoy Tom Barrack described it as a decisive stage in Damascus's journey. Al-Sharaa has run an opening toward Western capitals, including meetings with Trump and Emmanuel Macron.[1]

Pakistan's army chief meets Pezeshkian, Ghalibaf and Rezaei in Tehran

Iranian state television reported that Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on 24 August, as Islamabad tries to restart a stalled settlement between Iran and the United States. Munir also met parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Mohsen Rezaei, who heads the country's highest national security body. A US source who spoke to AFP said the meeting followed a phone call last week between Trump and Munir. Pakistan had helped produce a memorandum of understanding in June, but peace negotiations now appear stalled. Iran's foreign ministry said on 23 August that the visit was part of Pakistan's ongoing efforts to help consolidate peace and security in the region. The same day in Washington, Treasury Secretary Bessent set out a plan to choke off Iran's economy and warned of dire consequences for countries that stay out of the campaign.[2]

A Reuters/Ipsos poll puts support for the Iran war at 31 percent

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday put support for US military action against Iran at 31 percent, down from 37 percent in March and 34 percent earlier in August. Among Republican respondents, support fell to 69 percent from 77 percent in March. For a second consecutive Reuters/Ipsos survey, 33 percent of respondents said they approved of Trump's work as president, matching the lowest approval in the series across both of his terms. The war began on 28 February with US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Trump defends the campaign as necessary to stop Iran developing a nuclear weapon. On the same day as the poll, the administration announced a campaign named Operation Economic Outcast targeting all of Iran's revenue sources, oil above all.[3]

References

  1. News sourceAl JazeeraWashington takes Syria off the state-sponsor list and drops the al-Nusrah designation↩
  2. News sourceThe Straits TimesPakistan's army chief carries the mediation to Tehran↩
  3. News sourceAl JazeeraSupport for the Iran war falls to 31 percent and Trump's approval stays at 33↩
Chip wars and the supply chainRussia-Ukraine warMiddle East balance of powerEnergy transition and climate

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