The U.S. sanctions, which are the most comprehensive against Syria, remain the biggest obstacle to seeing a recovery in the transitional period and improving the livelihoods of Syrians.

Numerous obstacles are preventing many Syrian refugees from returning to their homes and towns after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, with the destruction of homes or their illegal seizure topping the list.

Within a week, a stunning rebel offensive has seized Aleppo and Hama, and large swathes of Idlib and Homs, as the Assad regime now faces its greatest threat in years.

In a significant shift in Syria’s military landscape, opposition factions achieved a major breakthrough in just one day, gaining ground at the expense of Bashar al-Assad's forces and allied militias.

Israeli airstrikes are now deliberately hitting Syrian civilians and their homes, intensifying the devastation that began with the Assad regime's brutal crackdown on the revolution in 2011.