We've been reporting on the current flare-ups in Syria, with fighting between the various factions as well as attacks on the country's Druze and Christian minorities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, expressed some hope that diplomatic efforts concerning Syria could bring an end to the fighting in that country.
.@SecRubio on Syria: "These are historic, longtime rivalries ... and it led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding ... We're on our way towards a real de-escalation ... In the next few hours, we hope to see some real progress to end what you've been seeing." pic.twitter.com/2cMcnLdDm7
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 16, 2025
Secretary Rubio, seated next to President Trump, said:
Yeah, it's complicated obviously, these, uh, these are historic long-time rivalries between different groups in the southwest of Syria. Bedouins, the Druze community, that led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding, it looks like, between the Israeli side and the Syrian side. So, we've been engaged with them all morning long, and all night long, with both sides, and I think we're on our way towards a real de-escalation and then hopefully get back on track in helping Syria build a country and arriving at a situation where the Middle East is far more stable. So in the next few hours we hope to see some real progress to end what we've been seeing over the last couple of hours.
Secretary Rubio, in his official X account, reiterated:
We have engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria. We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight. This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made and this is what we fully…
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 16, 2025
The post continues:
This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made and this is what we fully expect them to do.
One of the parties is Israel, as we reported Wednesday morning after the Israel Defense Forces bombed a Syrian military headquarters in response to attacks on the Druze. Israel has repeatedly expressed support for the Druze minority in Syria. There is a significant Druze minority in Israel, as well, with some holding government and military posts.
Read More: IDF Hits Syria Military HQ in Defense of Druze Fighters
Biden’s Middle East Advisor Offers Stunning Praise for Trump’s Leadership: ‘Best Place We Can Be’
As of this writing, nearly 250 people have been killed in sectarian fighting in southern Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 248 people had been killed in Sweida province since the violence erupted on Sunday.
The Britain-based watchdog said 28 civilians were among 92 Druze killed, 21 of them "in summary executions by government forces".
At least 138 Syrian security personnel were killed, along with 18 allied Bedouin fighters, it added.
This is an unsettled part of the world, wherein diplomacy is distinctly the art of saying "Nice doggy, nice doggy" until one can find a rock. The Trump administration has accomplished a lot in that region, not the least of which was the Abraham Accords. But there's a long way to go before that part of the world is anything like stable.
This remains a developing situation. Stay tuned.
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