US Partially Lifts Sanctions on Syria Following Landmark Meeting with New Leader
Washington D.C. – The United States has announced a 180-day partial suspension of sanctions against Syria following a historic meeting between President Donald Trump and Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the White House on Monday. This marks the first summit between a US and Syrian leader as 1946.
The meeting signals a dramatic shift in US-Syrian relations following the collapse of the Assad regime in december 2024, ending a deadly civil war that began in 2011.Al-Sharaa, formerly a rebel fighter with ties to al-Qaida and previously subject to a $10 million bounty, met with President Trump to advocate for sanction relief. He was greeted by supporters during a rare public appearance outside the white House.
“He’s a very strong leader,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “He comes from a very tough place.Tough guy. I like him. I get along with the president, the new president in Syria, and we’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful, because that’s part of the Middle East.”
The sanctions relief, announced by Secretary of State Marco rubio, applies to some provisions of the Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 – commonly known as the Caesar Act – which had targeted Syria’s energy sector and hindered postwar reconstruction investment. however, the exemptions specifically exclude transactions involving the governments of Russia and Iran, as well as the transfer of goods, technology, or financing originating from those countries.
A US government press release stated that President Trump “is delivering on his commitment to give Syria ’a chance at greatness’ and to let them rebuild and thrive by lifting US sanctions and ensuring accountability for harmful actors.”
Al-Sharaa’s background includes leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS),a group formerly affiliated with al-Qaida and previously designated as a terrorist institution. Following the overthrow of Assad’s government, HTS was removed from the US list of foreign terrorist organizations and the bounty on al-Sharaa was rescinded.
The US has expressed a desire for Syria to join a US-led coalition against Islamic State, and Syria has indicated plans to reopen its embassy in Washington, which has been closed for over a decade.While no formal announcement regarding the embassy reopening was made on Monday, al-Sharaa stated that the two sides reached a “political” agreement.
When questioned about potential announcements regarding Syria joining the anti-Islamic State coalition or a security pact with Israel, Trump responded, “Yes, you can expect an announcement on Syria. we want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful.”
Syria’s foreign ministry announced an agreement with the US to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the Syrian army.
