U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday officially lifting nearly all sanctions on Syria, ending decades of American economic restrictions against the country. The order rolls back measures first enacted in 1979 and significantly expanded in 2019 under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act.
Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump had signed the order, stating it would remove all sanctions against the Syrian government now led by former Al-Qaeda member Ahmed al-Sharaa. However, sanctions will remain in place on former President Bashar al-Assad, his senior aides, and Iran-backed militias operating in the country.
The move marks a major policy reversal. U.S. sanctions on Syria were originally imposed after the country was designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979. Sanctions were further expanded during Syria’s civil war, particularly under the Trump administration in 2019, when Washington supported opposition forces and sought to isolate the Assad government through economic pressure.
During a visit to the Middle East last month, Trump met briefly with al-Sharaa, announcing that the U.S. would give Syria "a chance at greatness" through economic relief. While no formal quid pro quo has been made public, Arab and Israeli media have reported that al-Sharaa intends to normalize relations with Israel by the end of the year—a development that would mark a dramatic shift in the region’s geopolitical landscape.
Such a move would align with Trump's push to expand the Abraham Accords, which have allowed several Arab nations to establish diplomatic ties with Israel without requiring progress toward Palestinian statehood.
The lifting of sanctions paves the way for countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey to begin investing in Syria’s reconstruction and rebuilding efforts, while also allowing them to strengthen their political and economic influence in Damascus.