Washington, DC (BN24) – President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria, fulfilling a promise he made in May to help stabilize the war-torn country.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision was intended to “promote and support Syria’s path to stability and peace.”
Trump announced his plans to ease sanctions during a meeting last month with Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa—a former al-Qaeda insurgent who fought U.S. troops in Iraq and was once imprisoned at Abu Ghraib. At the time, Trump urged al-Sharaa to pursue conditions that included normalizing ties with Israel and the United States.
Senior administration officials briefing reporters said the executive order dismantles the broader framework of sanctions imposed by previous administrations, while retaining targeted measures against Bashar al-Assad, his associates, and other destabilizing actors in the region.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack described the move as an opportunity for Syria’s interim government to rebuild.
“You have a general who transitioned from wartime into being the leader of a reframed new country that needs everything,” Barrack said. “Syria needs to be given a chance, and that’s what’s happened.”
Barrack emphasized the administration’s approach was not about dictating terms.
“Neither the president nor the secretary of state is nation building,” he said. “They’re not requiring a democratic model. They’re giving Syria an opportunity, with criteria that we will monitor—whether it’s integrating foreign fighters, protecting U.S. allies who fought ISIS, or supporting the Abraham Accords.”
Brad Smith, the acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury Department, said the order gives the U.S. flexibility to maintain restrictions where necessary.
“The significance of this moment cannot be overstated,” Smith said. “While we remain hopeful for Syria’s future, we are clear-eyed that threats to peace remain. Treasury will not hesitate to act to protect U.S. interests and the international financial system.”
A senior administration official said the aim was not to maintain leverage over Syria but to create incentives for its leadership to sign onto the Abraham Accords, the series of normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states brokered by the Trump administration.
“Leverage is not what we’re interested in doing,” the official said. “The president ripped the sanctions off without any conditions. It’s to Syria’s benefit to lean towards Israel.”
The official added that there have been reports of backchannel talks between Syria and Israel.
“So the way to entice them is to make it fruitful on an economic basis, on a peace and prosperity basis,” the official said. “What’s happened between Israel and Iran creates that window.”
While Monday’s executive order and the earlier suspension of many restrictions ease pressure on Damascus, the administration acknowledged further action from Congress may be needed to permanently remove all penalties.
“We are now—pursuant to the executive order—going to look at suspension criteria for the Caesar Act,” the official said, referring to the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, which imposed enhanced sanctions on foreign entities dealing with Assad’s government.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had issued a 180-day waiver of the Caesar Act sanctions in May.
“Ultimately Congress has the power to repeal the act,” the official noted.
