Syrian gov’t welcomes lifting of US sanctions
Syrian gov’t welcomes lifting of US sanctions DAMASCUS Syria has welcomed an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on June 30 that lifts the bulk of American sanctions on the country, calling it an historic shift that could pave the way for national recovery and reintegration into the international community.class='cf'> "With the lifting of this major obstacle to economic recovery, the long-awaited doors are opening for reconstruction and development" as are the conditions "for the dignified return of displaced Syrians to their homeland," Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in a post on X. He described the move as “a significant turning point” that will help steer Syria into a new phase of prosperity, stability and openness to the world. Trump on June 30 formally lifted most sanctions against Syria in May, responding to appeals from Saudi Arabia and Türkiye after the topple of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024. In an executive order, Trump terminated the "national emergency" in place since 2004 that imposed far-reaching sanctions on Syria, affecting most state-run institutions including the central bank. "These actions reflect the president's vision of fostering a new relationship between the United States and a Syria that is stable, unified and at peace with itself and its neighbors," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.class='cf'> Rubio said he would start the potentially lengthy process of examining whether to delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, a designation dating from 1979 that has severely discouraged investment. He also said he would look at removing the terrorist classification of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and his movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was once linked to Al-Qaeda. The United States already removed a bounty on Sharaa's head after he came to power. The orders still maintain sanctions on elements of the former government, including Assad, who fled to Russia late last year. The move came as Syrian and Israeli officials discussed to establish diplomatic ties. Israel kept pounding military sites in its historic adversary after the fall of Assad and initially voiced skepticism over the trajectory of its neighbor under Sharaa, who has swapped jihadist attire for a business suit. But Israel said on June 30 that it was interested in normalizing ties with Syria as well as Lebanon in an expansion of the so-called "Abraham Accords," in what would mark a major transformation of the Middle East.class='cf'> Trump administration officials argued that lifting the sanctions on Syria would better integrate the country into the region and incentivize it to open up to Israel. The Axios also reported that the U.S. has begun "preliminary discussions" with Israel and Syria on a potential security agreement between the two countries. Two senior Israeli officials said a deal remains possible but emphasized the lengthy timeline required, with one official stressing that a deal is "not around the corner." US,