US President Donald Trump will sign an order lifting sanctions on Syria, the White House announced on Monday. Sanctions will still apply to individuals tied to former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, people linked to chemical weapons activities, the Islamic State and ISIS affiliates and proxies for Iran.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Monday that will remove many of the US sanctions currently in place against Syria. According to the White House, the order is part of a broader effort to help Syria recover after years of civil war.
“Some sanctions will remain, especially on Bashar al-Assad’s associates and others involved in violence or terrorism,” Leavitt told reporters.
In May, Trump announced his plan to lift some of the sanctions in order to support Syria’s rebuilding efforts. Following that announcement, the US Treasury Department eased rules on certain areas like banking, airlines, and businesses linked to Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new Syrian president.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said those changes were made to encourage investments that could help Syria get back on its feet. “He’s committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified and at peace with itself and its neighbors,” Leavitt added.
US ALLIES AND SYRIAN OFFICIALS WELCOME THE MOVE
The executive order comes after a meeting between President Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during Trump’s Middle East visit. Leavitt described the decision as “another promise made and promise kept by this president to promote peace and stability in the region.”
CBS News reported that the order, which is expected to be signed Monday afternoon, will also ease restrictions on third-party countries that want to do business in Syria.
Syria’s new transitional government has pointed out that existing sanctions have caused problems. The restrictions have made it difficult to pay government workers, rebuild war-damaged cities, and fix a broken healthcare system.
At the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank spring meetings in Washington last month, Syria’s Central Bank Governor Abdelkadir Husrieh discussed these issues with global leaders, emphasising the need for financial relief.
Countries like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, both close allies of the United States, have already taken steps to support the new Syrian leadership. Saudi Arabia has even offered to help repay some of Syria’s debts, which previously would have violated the sanctions.
Saudi officials reportedly see the circumstances as a chance to bring Syria closer to them, especially after many years of Syria being aligned with Iran under Bashar al-Assad.
The US has placed heavy sanctions on Assad’s regime over the past 20 years for human rights violations and support for terrorist organizations. These measures were originally introduced through the Syria Accountability Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2003. The act focused on Syria’s ties with Hezbollah, its military presence in Lebanon, and its suspected involvement in weapons programs and oil smuggling.
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