US Rubio: Syrian government may collapse within weeks
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that Syria’s transitional government is nearing collapse, warning that the country could face a full-scale civil war and fragmentation in the coming weeks.
During his first appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as secretary of state, Rubio pointed out that US diplomatic staff in Turkiye are working with local partners to assess what kind of support is needed inside Syria.
Regarding Trump’s budget plan, Rubio said that the $28.5 billion budget request for the 2025/2026 fiscal year reflects a shift toward Trump’s “America First” approach and aims to eliminate nearly $20 billion in what he called “duplicative, wasteful, and ideologically driven programs.”
“The State Department had to change. It was no longer at the center of American foreign policy,” he stated, arguing that the department had often been sidelined by the White House’s National Security Council and other agencies.
While Republicans praised Rubio’s performance, some Democrats said they regretted confirming him, accusing him of failing to check Trump’s power and foreign aid cuts.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen warned that the withdrawal from development programs had weakened US influence compared to China. Rubio pushed back, saying the State Department is actively countering “China’s nefarious influence” and that “the era of indulging the Chinese Communist Party is over.”
On Gaza, the secretary of state was asked about the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians and responded that assistance is continuing, though the situation remains volatile. Protesters briefly interrupted the hearing with chants of “Stop the genocide,” before being removed by Capitol police.
