
UK re-establishes diplomatic ties with Syria as Lammy visits Damascus
Interim President Sharaa received Lammy alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani, according to photos of the meeting released by the presidency.
There is renewed hope for the Syrian people. The UK is reestablishing diplomatic relations because it is in our interests to support the new government to deliver their commitment to build a stable, more secure and prosperous future for all Syrians," Lammy said in a statement.
The talks addressed "bilateral ties... and ways of strengthening cooperation, as well as regional and international developments," Sharaa's office said in a statement.
The Syrian foreign ministry issued a similar statement following a separate meeting between Lammy and Shaibani.
Syria has seen a flurry of diplomatic activity since Assad's ouster in December after more than 13 years of grinding civil war.
In May, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra met with an official British delegation, the defence ministry said at the time.
In April, the UK government announced it was lifting sanctions imposed on Syria's interior and defence ministries under Assad.
It also said it was lifting sanctions against various media groups and intelligence agencies, as well as on some sectors of the economy including financial services and energy production.
A month earlier, it lifted sanctions on 24 entities including Syria's central bank.
Syria's new authorities have welcomed the moves, which came as they seek to rebuild the country and reboot its moribund economy, both ravaged by the conflict and crippling sanctions.
Agence France-Presse

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Middle East Eye
9 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
As Trump and Netanyahu eye normalisation deals, Iran looms large
The billboards went up in Tel Aviv barely before the smoke cleared from Israel's conflict with Iran, promising a slew of new diplomatic deals to a "victorious Israel". In the images, US President Donald Trump is flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a bevvy of Arab leaders. The standouts are Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Netanyahu's top priority when he arrives at the White House on Monday will be to push for diplomatic deals for Israel to normalise ties with Syria or Saudi Arabia in order to cap what he has portrayed as a major Israeli victory over Iran after 12 days of conflict. Trump has made no secret of the fact that he wants Damascus and Riyadh to normalise ties with Israel too - solidifying his deal-maker credentials - but he will likely have to bundle progress towards those agreements with resolving Israel's war on Gaza and the occupation of Syrian territory. Looming over Netanyahu's three-day visit is Iran. During the Israel-Iran conflict, Israel destroyed the Islamic Republic's air defences and ballistic missile launchpads. Israeli strikes killed Iranian generals and scientists. It culminated in the US bombing Iran's Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Israel, Iran, and the US have all claimed victory in the conflict, but the end result is far from conclusive. Middle East Eye reported that the US's powerful Gulf allies felt "vindicated' that they had restored ties with Iran and distanced themselves from Israel's attack. While Arab officials watched Israeli jets dominate Iran's skies, they also saw Iranian missiles slam into Tel Aviv. One Arab official told MEE that there was an inkling in some Arab capitals that Netanyahu would seek Trump's backing for a new offensive on Iran. 'The Islamic Republic emerged too powerful from the last round. Israel learned it needs the US involved directly,' the official said. In an interview aired by conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson on Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had "no problem" resuming nuclear talks with the US. Netanyahu and Trump are eschewing the White House Oval Office meeting. Instead, they will dine privately with their wives. Before the dinner, Netanyahu is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. He will also meet Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in the following days. Trump has tried to leverage a ceasefire between Israel and Iran for momentum towards a truce in the Gaza Strip. 'I think there's a good chance we have a deal with Hamas… during the coming week,' Trump told reporters on Sunday. Gaza ceasefire talks stalled The current proposal is for a two-month ceasefire, with guarantees from the US, Qatar, and Egypt, to extend the truce while talks on a permanent end to the conflict continue. The proposal mirrors that which Israel and Hamas struck in January. Israel unilaterally withdrew from that short-lived agreement in March and resumed attacking Gaza. 'MBS will insist on something serious. Not the sneaky stuff the Israelis want to offer' - Arab official Having been burned once, the main obstacle is Hamas's insistence that Israel commit to a full ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after the group releases the fewer than two dozen captives believed to be alive and not resume its attacks. Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel in Doha, Qatar, ended with no breakthrough, the AFP reported on Monday. The situation in Gaza is deteriorating with constant Israeli strikes. A lack of fuel, medicine and food has caused basic services to collapse. The trickle of aid that Israel has allowed into the enclave is being distributed by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose security is provided by American mercenaries. Despite the new Israeli billboard, Saudi Arabia insists that it won't normalise ties with Israel unless concrete steps are taken towards a Palestinian state. As a basic starting point, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would need to see a permanent end to Israel's war on Gaza, which he has described as a 'genocide'. 'The main point remains: what is Israel ready to offer to the Palestinians, and will that be satisfactory enough for MBS,' one Arab official told MEE. 'MBS will insist on something serious. Not the sneaky, half-pregnant stuff the Israelis want to offer.' Some analysts say that Israel's attack on Iran may give Netanyahu the space he needs to commit to a full-ceasefire in the Gaza Strip - which members of his government have long rejected. But Netanyahu's stated war plans have not changed. In May, he said that includes the total eradication of Hamas and enacting a plan Trump introduced earlier this year for a forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Syria deal around the corner? In Syria, Netanyahu faces a ruler who is on shakier ground than Saudi Arabia's crown prince and is more indebted to Trump. The US announced on Monday that it had revoked the terrorist designation on the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group. The move is part of Trump's sweeping pledge to lift all sanctions on Syria. The White House already permitted the relaxation of export controls on certain goods to Syria and waived restrictions on certain foreign assistance, but lifting sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa's former Islamist group so quickly sparked speculation among some analysts that diplomacy between Israel and Syria was picking up. 'Vindicated': Unscathed by war, Gulf states look to capitalise on Israel and Iran's losses Read More » 'We all knew that Assad-related sanctions are on their way to being lifted, but never did I think that terrorism related sanctions would be revoked just as easily,' Syrian political economy specialist Karam Shaar wrote on X. 'A deal with Israel must be around the corner,' he added. It's unclear if Sharaa will be able to sell a diplomatic deal with Israel to his base, let alone all of Syria. HTS was born out of al-Qaeda's Syria branch, al-Nusra Front, although HTS has since rejected transnational fighting, and Sharaa has said he aims to rule for all Syrians. Two regional officials told MEE that Sharaa is personally afraid for his safety. Israel has land to trade with Syria. After Bashar al-Assad's government was toppled in December 2024, Israel sent troops into the country and occupied a swath of southwest Syria, pushing beyond a United Nations buffer zone that was created in 1974 after the two countries fought a war. US special envoy to Syria and Lebanon, Tom Barrack, confirmed on Monday that Syria and Israel were engaged in talks over the border. 'Everyone is rushing to reach an agreement,' he said. It is unclear whether the talks are over Israel's occupation of the UN buffer zone or the entirety of the Golan Heights. Israel gained control of most of the territory after the 1967 war and annexed it in 1981. Sharaa, who previously went by nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has family roots in the illegally occupied Golan Heights.


Middle East Eye
10 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Britain once jailed suffragettes. Now it jails Palestine activists
On a quiet Saturday in London, beneath the statue of Gandhi in Parliament Square, police arrested 83-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt. Her crime? Holding a placard that read: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' She smiled as they took her away - dignified, calm, unafraid. She was one of more than two dozen people arrested that day - many of them women and elderly, most carrying nothing but banners and conscience. Their 'offence' was to stand in solidarity with Palestine Action, the group newly branded a terrorist organisation by the British government, despite never having harmed a single person. Its methods? Spray paint, red dye, road blockades - all part of a non-violent campaign to end Britain's role in arming Israel's destruction of Gaza. The irony is almost unbearable: this proscription was ordered by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and backed overwhelmingly in parliament on the very anniversary of women in Britain winning the right to vote. Most female MPs voted to criminalise Palestine Action - and many of them later smiled for photos celebrating the suffragette legacy of militant resistance. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters That legacy wasn't meek. The Women's Social and Political Union, led by Emmeline Pankhurst, planted bombs. They disrupted postal services, set fire to public buildings and politicians' homes, smashed windows, handcuffed themselves to railings, attacked Church of England buildings, and vandalised golf courses and male-only clubs. They disrupted political meetings, broke the law, and starved themselves in protest. Silencing dissent Palestine Action has never come close to such tactics. And yet today, it is labelled a terrorist threat. As Baron Peter Hain put it: 'Palestine Action members spraying paint on military aircraft at Brize Norton seems positively moderate by comparison [to the suffragettes' actions].' But while most female MPs today celebrate the suffragettes in words, they vote to criminalise their spirit in action. One of the few exceptions is Baroness Jenny Jones, a Green peer who has been outspoken in her defence of Palestine Action and searing in her condemnation of Britain's complicity. She is everything the suffragette legacy demands: principled, defiant, willing to speak uncomfortable truths in a chamber soaked in political cowardice. She stands with those resisting oppression - not those funding it. UK arrests 83-year-old priest for backing Palestine Action and opposing Gaza genocide Read More » She is the type of female legislator who was in Pankhurst's mind when she spoke at one of her trials: 'We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers.' And it is no surprise that while the likes of Cooper target campaigners - including women such as Parfitt and the cofounder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori - Jones calls out the state's duplicity: the criminalisation of protest, the arming of apartheid, the silencing of dissent. As she put it in parliament: 'If you want Palestine Action to disappear, then stop sending arms to Israel and giving military support to a foreign government engaged in ethnic cleansing.' This isn't just hypocrisy. It's a violent moral inversion. At the same protest on Saturday stood a Welsh nurse who only weeks ago was at the Rafah border pleading with Egyptian security forces to let him through into Gaza to facilitate aid delivery. Now back in the UK, he continues to protest - heartbroken, undeterred. This is the face of the movement: ordinary people moved by the extraordinary obscenity of genocide, and by the complicity of their own governments in enabling it. Growing movement Just a week earlier, punk duo Bob Vylan sent shockwaves through Glastonbury by chanting 'Death to the IDF' on stage, referencing the Israeli army. The words were echoed by thousands and broadcast live on the BBC. Palestine was everywhere at the festival - in lyrics, on flags, spoken from the stage. The crowds cheered. The establishment panicked. Prime Minister Keir Starmer rushed to condemn the chant, and even the White House weighed in. What the same western political establishment has failed to condemn, of course, are the crimes giving rise to those chants: the bombs dropped on hospitals, mass starvation, and body parts in rubble. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Two days later, London's high court ruled it lawful for the UK to supply parts for F-35 fighter jets - the very aircraft used to flatten Gaza. The message was unmistakable: chanting against genocide perpetrators is a scandal. Arming a genocidal army is lawful. Yet despite every effort to suffocate the pro-Palestine movement - police vans, proscription orders, media blackouts - it is only growing. A long-suppressed BBC documentary on Palestinian medics, which the broadcaster delayed and ultimately dropped, was finally aired by Channel 4. It showed in harrowing detail the systematic targeting of doctors and hospitals by Israeli forces. As commentator Gary Lineker said: 'The BBC should hang its head in shame.' The people are already ahead of their leaders. And sooner or later, the leaders will follow - whether they want to or not Meanwhile, Haaretz, Israel's own paper of record, published testimonies from Israeli soldiers describing how they were ordered to shoot starving Palestinians gathered for food. Not militants - children, parents, civilians. The body count in Gaza now exceeds 56,000. And Britain is arresting the people trying to stop it. But the tide is turning. Public opinion is not just shifting; it is collapsing around the western establishment. In the UK, net favourability towards Israel is now at -46. Nearly half of Britons believe Israel is committing genocide, while a majority support the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Across Europe, it's the same, with net favourability towards Israel at -44 in Germany, -48 in France, -54 in Denmark, -52 in Italy and -55 in Spain. In the US, the shift is also stark. A Pew poll conducted in March found that 53 percent of Americans now view Israel unfavourably, a rise of more than 10 percentage points from three years ago. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that four in 10 Americans now believe Israel's problems are 'none of our business.' Unstoppable shift The battle to liberate Palestine is no longer being fought solely in Gaza or the occupied West Bank. It is being waged just as critically in the heart of the western world: between an increasingly awakened public and an establishment determined to suppress it. The Israeli project is not a self-contained national affair. It is, at its core, a western colonial enterprise. And the last two years have exposed how deeply its survival depends on the political and military sponsorship of western governments - above all, the United States. This is why the frontline now runs through London, Paris, Berlin and Washington - through parliaments, universities, media outlets and courtrooms. It is a battle for moral authority, a contest between power and truth. And its outcome will shape the fate of Palestine. But history teaches us something else too: that the most transformative struggles - from the abolition of slavery and women's suffrage, to the civil rights movement - were won not because the powerful saw the light, but because the public made them feel the heat. And that public pressure, relentless and sustained, forced open doors long held shut. So it will be with Palestine. The people are already ahead of their leaders. And sooner or later, the leaders will follow - whether they want to or not. Public opinion will, in time, impose its will on those in power. It may take years. It may come slowly. But this shift is already underway, and it is unstoppable. History is watching. And when Palestine is finally free - as it will be - the names remembered won't be those who armed Israel with bombs. It will be the ones they tried to silence. The ones they arrested. The ones who marched. The ones who healed. The ones like Reverend Sue Parfitt, who smiled as they took her away. The ones like Baroness Jenny Jones, who refused to betray what justice means. We will remember who stood on the side of freedom - and who stood in its way. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.


Arabian Post
12 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Sri Lankan equities are an Asian frontier market money gusher!
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