(CNN) -- It would be hard to claim surprise at the array of sanctions which were finally imposed on the Syrian regime in the last weeks, following months of seemingly endless warnings from friends and foes alike. Yet, judging by the reaction of various officials in Damascus, the regime does seem stunned by this shock to its system, having been living in denial about the evolving situation it created. From the apex of its fortunes only a couple of years ago to the most severe isolation modern Syria has ever witnessed, the regime of President Bashar al-Assad regime has single-handedly managed the feat which no other detractor achieved: bringing the entire country, and of course the regime itself, to a dead-end from which it can no longer extricate itself.
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Syrian officials appear shocked by sanctions, despite endless warnings
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The ban on oil sales will have significant financial repercussions
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The regime is now isolated politically and economically
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The sanctions, coupled with state brutality, could lead to unrest
The truth is that for all the propaganda spewed by the @placeholder regime, few countries in the region want to see Syria completely isolated, if only for their own selfish reasons.