US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order dismantling wide-ranging sanctions on Syria, paving the way for renewed investment and reconstruction in the war-torn country, more than six months after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.
The order, announced on Monday, provides relief for entities deemed “critical to Syria’s development, the operation of its government, and the rebuilding of the country’s social fabric,” the US Treasury Department said.
The move comes after Trump’s May visit to the Middle East, where he pledged to support Syria’s rebuilding efforts following the collapse of al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.
While sanctions against Assad and his associates as well as those linked to ISIL, Iran, and its allies remain in place, the Treasury confirmed that 518 Syrian individuals and entities have already been delisted.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani welcomed the decision, calling it “a long-awaited opening for reconstruction and development.”
Trump’s order also calls for reviews of the controversial Caesar Act penalties, imposed for alleged war crimes by the Assad regime, as well as the terrorism designations of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa—also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani—and his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly al-Nusra Front.
Al-Sharaa, a former rebel commander in Idlib, led the December 2024 offensive that ousted al-Assad and has since pledged inclusive governance. However, ongoing reports of violence against members of the Alawite sect have raised concerns among rights groups.
The executive order also comes as bipartisan support grows in Congress for formally lifting sanctions. A bill co-sponsored by Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna seeks to enshrine the relief into law.
Al-Sharaa met with Trump in Saudi Arabia last month, where the US president described him as “attractive” and “tough” and expressed optimism about Syria’s future under his leadership.
