Syria–United States relations
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Diplomatic relations between Syria and the United States are currently non-existent; they were suspended in 2012 after the onset of the Syrian Civil War. Priority issues between the two states include the Arab–Israeli conflict, the Golan Heights annexation, Iraq War, alleged state-sponsorship of terrorism, occupation of Lebanon, etc.
The US government added Syria to its first list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism" in 1979, over its funding of Palestinian and other insurgent factions in the region. Syria is the only country from the original 1979 list to remain continuously on the list to the present day, in large part due to its support to Hezbollah.[1] From the period of the "War on Terror", the U.S. government has imposed a series of economic sanctions on Syria. These include legislatively mandated penalties, including export sanctions and ineligibility to receive most forms of U.S. aid or to purchase U.S. military equipment.
After the government crackdown on 2011 Syrian revolution; the US (alongside the European Union and Arab League) withdrew diplomatic recognition of Bashar al-Assad and imposed further sanctions against his government.[2][3] According to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, through a poll conducted during the Syrian Civil War, 29% of Syrians approve of U.S. leadership, with 40% disapproving and 31% uncertain.[4]
From the early stages of the conflict in Syria in 2011, the US and its allies have provided political, military and logistic support to the Syrian opposition and demanded the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power as a pre-requisite to any political solution in the country.[5][6][7] Since 2012, United States has recognized the Syrian National Revolutionary Coalition (SNRC) as "the legitimate representative" of the Syrian government.[8][9] In May 2014, SNRC's diplomatic offices were accredited by the US as its official foreign mission to Syria.[10][11]