US President Donald Trump announced during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia that he would lift all sanctions imposed on Syria, a decision that caught senior officials at the State Department and Treasury Department off guard.
The sanctions, which have been in place for over four decades, will be complex and time-consuming to unwind. Officials said they were confused about how to proceed with lifting the sanctions, despite having drafted memos and options papers to guide the government on this issue.
Trump’s decision may not have come as a surprise, however, as senior Syrian officials had lobbied for all sanctions to be removed during their recent visit to Washington. Nevertheless, the easing of sanctions does not appear imminent, with the White House requiring Syria to adhere to several conditions in exchange for sanctions relief.
Removing sanctions is rarely straightforward and requires close coordination between multiple agencies and Congress. In Syria’s case, lifting the sanctions will require addressing complex issues, including removing layers of measures imposed under the “Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act,” which stiffens penalties not just on Assad’s government but also secondary sanctions on outside companies or governments.
Trump could issue a general license suspending some or all of the sanctions, and overturning the bill would require congressional action. However, it is unclear whether every single sanction will be lifted as part of Trump’s order, with specific individuals or entities in Syria sanctioned for specific behavior-based reasons potentially not being removed from the list.
The announcement comes as the US and Russia held their first direct peace talks in years on Saturday, following a Russian drone attack that killed nine people in Ukraine.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/trumps-big-syria-announcement-surprised-his-own-sanctions-officials-2025-05-14