The Evening: Syrian Meeting, Iran Deal, Eyes of the World, and More

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Good Evening,

It's Wednesday, May 14th.

Note: The Evening will be “gone fishin’” until next Monday.

Trump Meets Militant Who Now Leads Syria

President Trump met the leader of Syria on Wednesday, one day after announcing a plan to lift sanctions on that country — a move that could ease the economic stranglehold on a nation battered by civil war and sectarian strife, as the NYT reports

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Trump Wants Iran Deal

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he urgently wants “to make a deal” with Iran to wind down its nuclear program but Tehran must end its support of proxy groups throughout the Mideast as part of any potential agreement, as the AP reports

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Germany Foils Alleged Russian Plot

German police detained three men suspected of planning to mail packages laden with explosives in a Russian-sponsored act of sabotage, as the WSJ reports

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Executive Education

A confrontation with China could reshape the global order. Analyze China’s military rise and test U.S. response strategies in Meeting China’s Military Challenge

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. Join CSIS experts from June 3 to 4, 2025, for expert briefings and an interactive wargame. Register

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by May 28.

Audio Briefs

CSIS now offers audio versions of our latest analysis. Listen to the latest Commentary by CSIS's Philip Luck, "Understanding the Temporary De-Escalation of the U.S.-China Trade War

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In That Number

60%

After Trump’s announcement, Syria’s currency gained 60% on Tuesday night—a signal of how transformational the removal of sanctions could be.

Source: A

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P

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Critical Quote

“This is good for Israel, having a relationship like I have with these countries, Middle Eastern countries, essentially all of them. I think it’s very good for Israel.”

—President Donald Trump

iDeas Lab

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This CSIS interactive dashboard

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explores the daily and cumulative trends of Russian missile attacks, including the number of missiles launched, types of missiles used, and the success of Ukrainian intercepts. Learn more here.

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The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

(Photo credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.) Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani reacts as U.S. President Donald Trump raises his pen during a signing ceremony at the Royal Palace in Doha on May 14, 2025.

Recommended Reading

"Trump Announces Lifting of Sanctions on Syria

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" by CSIS's Mona Yacoubian.

This Town Upcoming

On Friday, at 9:00 a.m.

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, the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program hosts a conversation with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) for a conversation on quantum technologies.

On Tuesday, at 12:00 p.m.

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, the Atlantic Council hosts a discussion on Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification efforts.

Then, on Thursday, at 9:30 a.m.

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, the CSIS Korea Chair holds a conversation on the 2025 South Korea presidential election.

Video

On Monday, the CSIS Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business hosted seven former United States Trade Representatives who shared their thoughts on the current global trade landscape. Watch the full video here.

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Podcasts

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CSIS's Gracelin Baskaran, director of the CSIS Critical Minerals Security Program, joins the podcast to discuss potential minerals deals with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar during President Trump’s trip to the Middle East.

Listen on Spotify

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& Apple Podcasts

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Smiles

One more from Jazz Fest. This is the ultimate “Voodoo Dead,” fusion of New Orleans funk with the Grateful Dead’s canon. Here you have Meters’ founding member, George Porter Jr., explaining his connection to the Grateful Dead and singing the Dead classic “Eyes of the World

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I invite you to email me at [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

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The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed by Lauren Adler, Ava Rose, and the External Relations team.

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Connect w/ H. Andrew Schwartz



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