A new chapter? Trump lifts sanctions on Syria
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced the removal of sanctions on Syria, a move Syrian officials welcomed as a major shift in bilateral relations.
US sanctions, imposed during Syria’s 14-year civil war, have cut the country off from global markets and severely hindered economic recovery.
“Those sanctions were crippling the Syrian economy. They were needed at an earlier time, but now it’s time for Syria to shine,” Trump said during the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh.
He confirmed the shift marks a broader change in US policy. “My administration has taken the first step toward normalizing relations with Syria.”
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani called the decision a “turning point for the Syrian people after years of devastating war.”
“We are prepared to build relations with the United States on the basis of mutual respect, trust, and shared interests,” he added, describing Trump as capable of brokering a “historic peace agreement.”
أتقدم بجزيل الشكر والتقدير للمملكة العربية السعودية قيادةً وحكومةً وشعباً، على الجهود الصادقة التي بذلتها في دعم مساعي رفع العقوبات الجائرة عن سوريا. هذه الخطوة تمثل انتصاراً للحق وتأكيداً على وحدة الصف العربي.1/3
— أسعد حسن الشيباني (@AsaadHShaibani) May 13, 2025
Mazloum Abdi, commander of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), also welcomed the announcement in a post on X. “We thank President Donald Trump for the decision to lift sanctions on Syria,” he wrote. “This step should support stability and reconstruction to ensure a better future for all Syrians.”
نشكر رئيس الولايات المتحدة الأميركية دونالد ترامب @POTUS على قرار وقف العقوبات المفروضة على سوريا، لما له من أثر إيجابي على البلاد.نأمل أن تُستثمر هذه الخطوة في دعم الاستقرار وإعادة البناء، بما يضمن مستقبل أفضل لكافة السوريين. سوريا تستحق الأفضل دائماً.
— Mazloum Abdî مظلوم عبدي (@MazloumAbdi) May 13, 2025
