U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to lift sanctions on Syria, fulfilling a promise he made earlier. The White House stated that this move aims to help Syria find stability and peace. However, sanctions will still apply to former President Bashar Assad and his close associates.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that the order is intended to reintegrate Syria into the international financial system. This change is expected to open up opportunities for trade and investment from neighboring countries and the U.S. Treasury’s acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brad Smith, emphasized that this step is crucial for Syria’s economic recovery.
The executive order also ends a national emergency declared by former President George W. Bush due to Syria’s actions in Lebanon and its weapons programs. In total, five previous executive orders related to Syria have been revoked. However, sanctions against terrorist groups and those involved in the production of the drug Captagon will remain in effect.
This decision comes after Trump met with Syria’s interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Saudi Arabia in May, where he expressed his intention to lift sanctions and consider normalizing relations with Syria. Despite the lifting of some sanctions, the U.S. still classifies Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, and a review of these designations is currently underway by the State Department.
The European Union has also taken similar steps, lifting most of its sanctions on Syria. Canada announced in March that it would ease its sanctions for a six-month period as part of a transitional phase following the fall of Assad’s regime.
Leavitt remarked that this action demonstrates Trump’s commitment to keeping his promises. As the situation develops, it will be important to observe how these changes impact Syria’s future and its relationships with other nations.