Trump signs executive order lifting sanctions on Syria

Shafaq News- Washington

On Monday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order rescinding most US sanctions imposed on Syria since the 1970s.

The executive order comes six weeks after Trump’s meeting with Syria’s transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, where he announced that the US would lift sanctions on Syria to give the country a fresh start.

“Now it is their time to shine. We are taking them all off. Good luck Syria. Show us something very special,” Trump declared during a speech at the time.

The order outlines a major reversal of US policy toward Syria dating back to 1979. It directs a review of Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, including a potential suspension of the Caesar Act, which sanctioned the al-Assad regime for war crimes against civilians.

The order also initiates steps to remove Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — the Islamist group formerly led by al-sharaa — from the US foreign terrorist organization list.

This announcement follows earlier statements by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, who confirmed that the decision is part of a broader strategy to open new pathways toward regional stability, calling it a “commitment to supporting a stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors.”

Sanctions, however, will remain in place against former President Bashar al-Assad, his inner circle, and Iranian-backed factions.