Trump, Nikki Haley Ratchet Up Pressure on Syria, Issue Warning on Military Action
In a tweet Monday, President Trump warned Syria and its allies not to go forward with a rumored offensive in northwestern Syria’s Idlib Province, declaring that it could result in a catastrophe where “hundreds of thousands of people could be killed.”
According to Fox News, the warning came as Iran’s foreign minister said that “terrorists must be purged” from the province, considered the last stronghold for rebels fighting against dictator Bashar Assad’s regime.
“Syria’s territorial integrity should be safeguarded and all tribes and groups, as one society, should start the reconstruction process, and the refugees should return to their homes,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Damascus, according to a report from Iran’s state-run news agency.
The remarks come as the Assad regime and its allies prepare for a phased assault on the rebel-held area, according to Reuters. The U.N. estimates this could displace 800,000 people in an area of 3 million — and it could also discourage refugees from returning to the area.
In a wave of social media statements made after Zarif’s announcement, the Trump administration seemed intent on preventing that.
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don’t let that happen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2018
“President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province,” the president tweeted.
“The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don’t let that happen!”
Trump wasn’t the only administration official that was warning the Syrians and their allies away from action in Idlib, either.
All eyes on the actions of Assad, Russia, and Iran in Idlib. #NoChemicalWeapons https://t.co/DscJOxf4x1
— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) September 3, 2018
U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley retweeted the president’s status along with “All eyes on the actions of Assad, Russia, and Iran in Idlib. #NoChemicalWeapons,” a clear restatement of the Trump administration’s position when it came to Syria.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, pinned a retweet of President Trump to the top of the Twitter feed, which came in addition to a tweet about Idlib last week.
Sergey Lavrov is defending Syrian and Russian assault on #Idlib. The Russians and Assad agreed not to permit this. The U.S sees this as an escalation of an already dangerous conflict.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) August 31, 2018
“(Russian Foreign Minister) Sergey Lavrov is defending Syrian and Russian assault on #Idlib. The Russians and Assad agreed not to permit this. The U.S sees this as an escalation of an already dangerous conflict,” Pompeo tweeted.
Lavrov has continued to escalate his rhetoric, however, saying Monday that “there is no place for terrorists in Syria, and the Syrian government has every right to seek their liquidation on its territory,” according to Russian state propaganda outlet Sputnik.
The Trump administration has already launched two attacks on Syria — in April of 2017 and again in April of 2018. Both were in response to the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons in its civil war. The warnings by Trump and other top officials raise the specter of deeper U.S. involvement in the war.
Idlib is shaping up to be the next major battle in the Syrian conflict, and the Trump administration is gearing up for a major battle. Syria’s government should remember it’s not dealing with the Obama administration anymore.
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