for example Syria managed to get partial sanctions relief by simply calling him a “God sent man of peace”.

They got that because their leader is a religious extremist asset of the CIA and west who is acting in their favor, in their name, in their interests and deposed Assad and is kissing the ring of the west and their wants. That’s what matters. He’s not perhaps their first choice but they want to reward that kind of behavior and prostration he’s shown, give him some treats and get him to cooperate, threaten to slap the sanctions fully back on if he acts out in any way. It’s not unusual at all for the west to partially lift sanctions in situations like this.