Trump to formally lift U.S. sanctions on Syria

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Monday formally ending U.S. sanctions on Syria, in a major foreign policy reversal that follows a series of diplomatic overtures between Washington and Damascus.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision was intended to “promote and support the country’s path to stability and peace”. While the general sanctions regime will be lifted, targeted restrictions will remain in place against former President Bashar al-Assad, his associates, and others involved in rights abuses, chemical weapons activity and terror operations.

“This is another promise made and promise kept,” Leavitt told reporters, referring to Trump’s remarks during his visit to Saudi Arabia last month.

The move follows the Biden-era sanctions carve-out granted in May, which eased restrictions on certain transactions. Trump had used that opening to push forward on a broader rollback of punitive measures imposed during Syria’s long civil war.

During a landmark meeting in Riyadh on 14 May, Trump met interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa for the first time. He pledged to lift sanctions and explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic ties — a step not seen in U.S. policy toward Syria for decades.

The encounter came a day after Trump addressed the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, calling the sanctions “crushing and counterproductive”.

The European Union has also announced plans to lift nearly all of its remaining sanctions on Syria, aligning with the U.S. shift.

Al-Sharaa, who now leads a transitional government following the flight of Bashar al-Assad to Russia in December 2024, has vowed to end Syria’s isolation and rebuild relations with former adversaries. Assad's departure marked the fall of the Baathist regime that had held power since 1963.

The executive order is expected to take effect immediately upon signing.

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