President Trump signed an executive order on June 30, 2025, ending most U.S. sanctions on Syria to support its economic recovery and back the new leadership of President Ahmed al‑Sharaa after overthrowing Bashar al‑Assad. Sanctions tied to Assad, human rights abusers, ISIS, Al‑Qaeda affiliates, and Iranian proxies remain in place.
The administration argues this move will reconnect Syria to global markets and encourage reconstruction efforts under Sharaa’s government. Officials also see this as a precursor to broader normalization, possibly including Syria’s entry into the Abraham Accords framework.
Trump first signaled the shift during a May speech in Riyadh and a meeting with Sharaa, marking the first U.S.–Syria presidential-level contact in decades. The executive order revokes five prior Syria-related national emergency declarations and ends the 2004 sanctions program, while delegating to Treasury and State the task of reviewing waivers under the Caesar Act.
Supporters see this as a hopeful reset for Syria after 14 years of civil war, potentially enabling foreign investment, refugee repatriation, and stronger regional security. Critics caution that de‑sanctioning Syria too quickly could empower an untested government with Islamist roots and weaken leverage on human rights and counterterrorism efforts .
