President Donald Trump last week announced he would normalize U.S. relations with Syria by lifting decades-old sanctions, and he became the first American president to meet with the leader of the Middle Eastern nation in 25 years – a move that some have seen as an indirect hit on Iran.

The news was a surprising shift from Trump’s prior position in which he said in a December post that "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT."

Trump’s change of posture is a gamble that could see serious gains regarding regional stability and securing U.S. interests by deterring Iranian influence, explained Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran expert and senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

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"This is what I call a high-risk, high-reward gamble, but one that, if achieved successfully, can actually prevent Syria from being a launching pad for more Iranian malign activity," Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. "But if it fails, . . . Washington would have ended up empowering a jihadist government in Damascus [that] does not have full control over its own territory."

The December collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime following the takeover by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate, not only signified an end to a decades-long oppressive regime, it also effectively dismantled years of Iranian investment in a major setback to its regional influence.  

Trump emphasized that this sanctions relief, which he argued will give the country a chance to recover and was soon followed by an EU order to lift sanctions, is a move to encourage Syria to normalize diplomatic ties with Israel.

But Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is also the leader of HTS, which is still a designated terrorist group under the U.S. and the UN, has not officially agreed to pursue diplomatic ties with Jerusalem – a push several Middle Eastern nations have flatly rejected amid its aggressive military operations in the Gaza Strip.

Trump also emphasized that the new Syrian government needs to suppress the rise of Islamic extremist groups, which Ben Taleblu pointed out is going to be one of the nation’s chief vulnerabilities as it looks to completely re-establish itself in the world order as trade, business and diplomacy have been reopened to Damascus. 

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"Tehran traditionally responds to these sorts of things with patience. The Islamic Republic has an ideological view of the way the region should be oriented, and has put time, money, resources, blood and treasure towards that," Ben Taleblu said. 

The Iran-expert explained that Tehran is waiting for the U.S. and Israel to loosen its pressure on the regime and its proxies, "and for Washington and Jerusalem to make mistakes in the region as they try to push towards bigger-picture things –  like flipping Syria or regional peace and stability." 

"And it is there that in the interim, while Washington focuses up on building up states that Tehran will focus on building up proxies and partners," he added.

Syria is not a united nation as conflict persists across the country between varying minority groups, former regime loyalists and terrorist organizations like ISIS.

Secretary of State Macro Rubio also warned lawmakers on Tuesday that Syria could be just "weeks" away from a "potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions."

These fractures pose a significant vulnerability for the new Syrian government. 

"Whenever there is a downtrodden or dispossessed person in a war zone or in a conflict zone, that is Tehran's angle of entry back into a conflict," Ben Taleblu said. "This has been Iran’s strategy, sitting and waiting and looking to exploit opportunities across the entire northern tier of the Middle East, from Iraq to Syria to Lebanon.

"Exploiting disarray is a specialty of the Islamic Republic," he warned. 

The expert explained that if the Trump administration wants to ensure that Iran is unable to exploit vulnerable populations in Syria, then it will need to press Damascus to address the sweeping concerns facing various groups across the country. 

Though the president, and his constituents, notoriously opposed nation-building, which could spell trouble for the long-term security of Syria as it sits in Iran’s shadow. 

"Tehran is going to be playing the long game. It's going to be running the clock when it comes to American and Israeli patience for what the future regional order could look like," Ben Taleblu warned. 

A Florida-based nonprofit is tackling veteran suicide by connecting community members and holding fast that the crisis American vets are facing is preventable.

The Fire Watch operates on three premises: that suicide is preventable, that timely connection to resources can save lives, and that communities must play an active role in prevention. 

"It takes the community to get involved in suicide prevention," Executive Director Nick Howland told Fox News Digital.

After seeing impressive results, The Fire Watch is hoping to take its regional organization nationwide with an approach that tackles veteran suicide differently with treatment-focused efforts and local engagement. 

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At the heart of The Fire Watch’s strategy is the "Watch Stander" program, modeled after CPR training. 

In a concise 30-to-45-minute session, volunteers learn to recognize warning signs, ask direct questions, validate the veterans' experience, and expedite referral to services—summarized by the acronym SAVE. 

"Like CPR doesn’t train you to be a paramedic, our training doesn’t turn you into a clinician," Howland said. "It trains you to notice the change and sound the alarm for help." 

Each Watch Stander leaves with a wallet card, wristband, and sticker as reminders of critical red flags—expressions of self-harm, substance abuse, reckless behavior, or giving away possessions—and the simple steps to get someone to help.

The nonprofit works in tandem with the state's veteran affairs offices and connects veterans with counseling services.

Since its inception in Northeast Florida, The Fire Watch has tracked dramatic reductions in veteran suicides. 

After recording 81 veteran deaths by suicide in 2019, Howland set an audacious goal: cut that number by at least 25% for three consecutive years. 

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As of the latest data released May 1, veteran suicides in the region fell to 61 in 2023—25% below the 2019 baseline for the fourth straight year. 

Statewide, veteran suicides are down 5%, and in areas where The Fire Watch has a foothold (Northeast Florida, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Escambia County), the decline has been 12%, compared to just 2% elsewhere in the Sunshine State.

"Where we're building our network of community members who care, who get veterans to the help they need, veteran suicidality is decreasing," he said. "It's remarkable." 

For volunteers like Ryan Haczynski, the program’s impact is deeply personal. After losing a Vietnam veteran friend to suicide in late 2022, Haczynski searched for a way to honor his memory and prevent further loss. 

"I didn’t recognize the signs," he reflected, telling Fox News Digital that his friend had even asked him to be the executor of his will just weeks before his death. 

Following the vet's suicide, Haczynski's online search led him into Watch Stander and Ambassador trainings, where he has since certified others and even helped arrange a proper military funeral for his friend.

Haczynski now uses every community interaction to check in on veterans, validate their experiences, and point them to Fire Watch’s free 24/7 crisis resources.

"We want to give back, we want to help, especially people who have done so much [for our country] to go and serve us," he said.

Learn more about The Fire Watch at thefirewatch.org.