Donald Trump ends sanctions on Syria, except for Bashar al-Assad

Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, June 30, formalizing the dismantling of U.S. sanctions against Syria, a new step in the rapprochement between the two countries following the fall of Bashar al-Assad. "This is an effort to promote and support the country's path toward stability and peace," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters before the executive order was signed behind closed doors.

President Trump surprised everyone by announcing, during a visit to Riyadh on May 13, the lifting of US sanctions, saying he wanted to "give the new authorities in Damascus a chance at greatness." The next day, he also met with interim Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who leads the rebel coalition led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which overthrew the Syrian president in December.

Since then, Washington has eased most of its sanctions to facilitate Syria's return to the international financial system and is implementing permits to encourage new investments in Syria. The State Department issued a waiver under the "Caesar Act" on the protection of civilians in Syria. This 2020 law provided for severe sanctions against any entity or company cooperating with the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Syria, ruled by the Assad clan for decades, has been subject to international sanctions since 1979. These sanctions were tightened after Bashar al-Assad's regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests in 2011, triggering the war.

The presidential decree, which refers to the "positive steps" taken by the Syrian authorities since the fall of Al-Assad, dismantles the overall architecture surrounding US sanctions, including a declaration of "national emergency" dating back to 2004.

The head of Syrian diplomacy, Assaad Al-Chibani, welcomed, on X, "an important turning point, which favors the entry of Syria into a new phase of prosperity, stability and openness to the international community."

"With the removal of this major obstacle to economic recovery, the long-awaited doors to reconstruction and development are opening, as well as the rehabilitation of vital infrastructure, thus creating the necessary conditions for a dignified and safe return of displaced Syrians to their homeland," he added.

The United States, however, is maintaining sanctions against Assad, who fled to Russia, "his associates, human rights violators, drug traffickers and persons linked to the Islamic State," according to the decree.