U.S. President Signs Executive Order Ending Most US Sanctions on Syria

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating the majority of the United States’ sanctions programme on Syria, marking a significant policy shift aimed at reintegrating Syria into the international financial system and supporting its post-conflict reconstruction.

The White House confirmed that while the sanctions on Syria as a state are lifted, targeted sanctions against former President Bashar al-Assad, his close associates, human rights violators, drug traffickers, individuals linked to chemical weapons programmes, Islamic State (ISIS) affiliates, and Iranian proxies will remain in force. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasised that these measures continue to hold accountable those responsible for atrocities and threats to regional stability

Assad was toppled in December in a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels and Syria has since taken steps to re-establish international ties.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said President Trump's termination of the Syria sanctions program would "open door of long-awaited reconstruction and development," according to a post by the foreign minister on social media platform X.

He said the move would "lift the obstacle" against economic recovery and open the country to the international community.

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Trump met in Riyadh in May where, in a major policy shift, Trump unexpectedly announced he would lift U.S. sanctions on Syria, prompting Washington to significantly ease its measures.

Some in Congress are pushing for the measures to be totally repealed, while Europe has announced the end of its economic sanctions regime.

"Syria needs to be given a chance, and that's what's happened," U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack told reporters in a briefing call. He described Monday's move as "the culmination of a very tedious, detailed, excruciating process of, how do you unwrap these sanctions."

The White House in a fact sheet said the order directs the Secretary of State to review the terrorism designations of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel group that Sharaa led that has roots in al Qaeda, as well as Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The White House said the administration would continue to monitor Syria's progress on key priorities including "taking concrete steps toward normalizing ties with Israel, addressing foreign terrorists, deporting Palestinian terrorists and banning Palestinian terrorist groups."





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