Trump signs executive order lifting decades-long sanctions on Syria

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order that lifts decades-long U.S. sanctions on Syria, which will ease some of the economic hardship on its new regime.  

The president's order fulfills a promise he made last month during a trip to the Middle East, where he blasted “interventionists” and “neocons” as wrecking “far more nations than they built.”

The order includes lifting the 2004 national emergency declaration related to Syria, and revokes five executive orders related to the declaration. It also orders Secretary of State Marco Rubio to examine Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and the designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. 

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is the group that overthrew former Syrian President Bashar Assad late last year. Sanctions on Assad are still expected to remain in place, according to The Hill. 

United States Ambassador to Republic of Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said the sanctions will be lifted without conditions, but the country is expected to fulfill a number of criteria related to countering terrorism, such as integrating the Syrian Kurdish forces and establishing a relationship with Israel.

“Neither the president nor the Secretary of State are nation building, they’re not dictating," Barrack said. “They’re not giving the framework of the democratic model that needs to be implemented to their architectural desire. They’re saying we’re going to give you an opportunity.”

The Treasury Department said it reserves the right to reimpose sanctions on Syria if necessary.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.