The United States has pressed its Arab allies to put on hold their endeavors to renew the dialogue with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed US officials.

The Trump administration has reportedly warned that any attempts to participate in the post-war reconstruction of Syria would prompt Washington to impose sanctions in order to “pressure Assad into accepting political reforms.”

According to the newspaper, Washington’s concerns were triggered by the United Arab Emirates’ decision to reopen its embassy in Damascus after a “conviction that the next stage requires Arab presence and communication in the Syrian file”.

The move became a big step towards Syria’s rehabilitation by its Arab neighbors, who had supported anti-government terrorists.

“Many of those countries supported the anti-Assad rebellion and are confronting the reality that he is likely to remain in power for the foreseeable future”, the newspaper wrote.

Source: Sputnik