Trump signs executive order ending US sanctions on Syria after president Julani quietly assists Israel

News Network
July 1, 2025

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Washington, July 1: In a major policy shift, President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order lifting most US economic sanctions on Syria — a move widely seen as legitimizing the country's new interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist commander with deep ties to extremist groups.

From Terrorist to President

Ahmed al-Sharaa — better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammad al-Julani — was once a top commander in al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra, which later rebranded as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The US had designated HTS a terrorist group, and Julani himself was listed as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist." His transformation from militant leader to interim president has raised eyebrows globally.

Trump Fulfills Pledge After Saudi Meeting

In May 2025, Trump met al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia and promised to lift economic restrictions — a pledge fulfilled with Monday’s executive order. The order ends the national emergency declared in 2004 under President George W. Bush and repeals five other Syria-related executive orders.

Key Sanctions Still in Place

Sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act — targeting Bashar al-Assad, his top aides, and others responsible for war crimes, drug trafficking, or chemical weapons — remain in place and can only be lifted by Congress. Sanctions also continue against groups and individuals linked to the production of Captagon, the amphetamine fueling much of the region’s drug trade.

“Reintegration into Global Markets”

The US Treasury's Brad Smith said the move would “reintegrate Syria into the international financial system” and pave the way for investment from neighboring Arab states and the US itself. The White House described the shift as part of a broader effort to promote "stability and peace" in Syria.

Syria Quietly Assists Israeli Airstrikes on Iran

Critics say al-Sharaa's regime has already begun aligning with US and Israeli regional interests. During Israel's airstrikes on Iran in mid-June 2025 — part of a campaign dubbed Operation Rising Lion — Syrian airspace was reportedly used by Israeli jets en route to Iranian targets. According to All Israel News and The Jerusalem Post, Syria “quietly opened its airspace” for the mission. One analyst remarked, “Every blow to Iran is pure benefit to al-Sharaa’s regime.”

State Sponsor of Terrorism Label Under Review
Despite the rollback, Syria remains officially listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, and the group formerly led by al-Sharaa is still designated as a foreign terrorist organization. A State Department official confirmed that both designations are currently under review.

EU Follows Suit on Sanctions

The European Union has also reportedly moved to lift nearly all remaining sanctions on Syria, signaling a broader normalization of ties between Western powers and Damascus’ new leadership — a leader who, until recently, was considered one of the world’s most wanted jihadists. 

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News Network
November 27,2025

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Authorities at Pakistan’s high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday dismissed speculation about the condition of imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, rejecting rumours that he had been moved out of the facility or was in danger. Officials said Khan was in “good health” and described the viral death claims as “baseless.”

“There is no truth to reports about his transfer from Adiala Jail,” the Rawalpindi prison administration said in a statement, according to Geo News. “He is fully healthy and receiving complete medical attention.”

Amid swirling rumours on social media, Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), urged the federal government to issue an official clarification and demanded that authorities allow his family to meet him immediately, Dawn reported.

The frenzy began after Khan’s three sisters called for an impartial probe into what they described as a “brutal” police assault on them and other PTI supporters outside Adiala Jail last week. Soon after, several social media handles circulated unverified claims alleging that Khan had been “killed” inside the prison.

The rumours intensified when a handle named “Afghanistan Times” claimed that “credible sources” had confirmed Khan’s “murder” and that his body had been moved out of the jail — allegations that have not been verified by any credible agency.

Imran Khan, PTI’s patron-in-chief, has been lodged in the Rawalpindi prison since August 2023 in multiple cases. For over a month, an undeclared restriction has prevented family members and senior PTI leaders from meeting him. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has reportedly been denied access despite making seven attempts.

In a letter to Punjab Police Chief Usman Anwar, Khan’s sisters — Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan, and Dr. Uzma Khan — said they were “peacefully protesting” outside the jail when police allegedly launched an unprovoked assault after streetlights were switched off.

“At 71, I was seized by my hair, thrown to the ground and dragged across the road,” Noreen Niazi said, alleging that other women present were also slapped and manhandled.

Adiala Jail officials reiterated that speculation over Imran Khan’s health was unfounded and insisted that his well-being was being ensured, Geo News reported.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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News Network
November 21,2025

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Local authorities say the Israeli military has expanded the so-called “yellow line” truce demarcation in Gaza City and repositioned its forces deeper into the territory in violation of a ceasefire agreement that came into force on October 10, besieging dozens of Palestinian families.

Gaza’s Government Media Office announced in a statement on Thursday that Israeli forces widened the boundary by shifting the markers, and advanced roughly 300 meters (984 feet) into the neighborhoods of Ash-Shaaf, An-Nazzaz and Baghdad Street.

The move pushed further into civilian areas, trapping families who were unable to flee as tanks rolled forward, it added.

“The fate of many of these families remains unknown amidst the shelling that targeted the area,” the office said, adding that the expansion of the yellow line shows a “blatant disregard” for the ceasefire deal.

On Friday, sources said the Israeli military carried out continued air and artillery strikes inside the so-called “yellow line” east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to the reports, Israeli warplanes and tanks targeted areas within the zone. One Palestinian was reported killed and several others wounded in the strikes, the sources said.

The fresh aggression came only a day after 25 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City and Khan Younis on Wednesday.

The media office reported that Israel has consistently violated the truce deal since its implementation last month, with near-daily attacks by air, artillery and direct shootings.

The office said over 400 violations have been documented. These breaches have resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Palestinians and left hundreds injured.

The Government Media Office in Gaza urged the guarantors of the ceasefire — the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — to take swift action to halt the ongoing violations and facilitate the delivery of food, shelter materials, medical aid, and infrastructure equipment.

The so-called “yellow line,” set out in the agreement between Israel and Hamas resistance movement, refers to a non-physical partition where the Israeli military repositioned itself when the truce deal took effect.

It has allowed Israel, which routinely fires at Palestinians who approach the line, to retain control over more than half of the Gaza Strip.

International bodies, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, and other rights groups, have concluded that the Israeli war on Gaza amounts to genocide.

In the attacks in Gaza since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 69,546 people and injured 170,833 others, leveling large swaths of the territory and displacing almost all of the population. 

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