US wants Syrian government to succeed, alternative is 'full-scale civil war': Rubio

​​​​​​​By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Washington supports efforts to help the new Syrian government succeed, warning that failure could lead to war and regional instability.

“We want to help that government succeed, because the alternative is full-scale civil war and chaos, which would, of course, destabilize the entire region,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He added that US officials, including embassy staff in Türkiye, would coordinate with local partners to assess Syria’s needs, especially on the kind of aid they need for law enforcement.

“When Syria is unstable, the region becomes unstable,” said Rubio.

He said lifting sanctions could enable neighboring countries to support the Syrian government in building governance mechanisms.

US President Donald Trump announced his intention last week to lift sanctions on Syria during a Saudi-US Investment Forum 2025 in Riyadh.

"If we engage them, it may work out, it may not work out. If we did not engage them, it was guaranteed to not work out," Rubio underlined.

The remarks follow recent efforts, including Trump’s meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia and Rubio's meeting with Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Türkiye.

Al-Sharaa signed a constitutional declaration in March, setting a five-year transitional phase for the country.

Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.