Syrian Administration Appears Supportive of Removal of American Sanctions
In a significant shift in U.S.-Syria relations, President Donald Trump's administration has taken steps towards cautious engagement with the Middle Eastern nation. On June 30, 2025, Trump signed an executive order lifting most economic sanctions on Syria, marking a turning point in Syria's international standing.
The order, which rescinded five major executive orders and terminated the 2004 national emergency declaration, effectively reversed decades of U.S. isolation towards Syria. However, targeted sanctions remain on entities connected to former President Bashar al-Assad, human rights abuses, chemical weapons, terrorism, and drug trafficking.
The lifting of sanctions has been welcomed by Syrian officials, who view it as a step towards reconstruction and greater international engagement. Simultaneously, the U.S. is reducing its military presence in Syria from eight military posts to one, signalling a strategic recalibration.
Diplomatic groundwork is being laid for broader regional stability. The U.S. and Israel are in preliminary discussions about a potential security agreement involving Syria, aiming to reduce tensions and update arrangements along the volatile Israel-Syria border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed willingness to negotiate a new security agreement with Syria's interim government with U.S. mediation.
Recent meetings between Syrian government authorities and representatives from eastern Syria have occurred amid these changes, including arrangements for Damascus to take control over camps holding families of Islamic State members. This development, long a source of instability in the region, could mark a major transformation of the Middle East.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that 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 neighbours. If realized, the potential normalization of ties between Israel and Syria could be part of the so-called "Abraham Accords."
However, comprehensive normalization and peace remain a complex and gradual process. Some targeted sanctions still remain in place, and ongoing security challenges persist in the region. A deal between the U.S., Israel, and Syria is possible, but it is expected to take a lengthy timeline.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani 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. The discussion of a security agreement between the U.S., Israel, and Syria is a reported development by Axios.
- The discussion of a potential security agreement between the U.S., Israel, and Syria, as reported by Axios, is a significant development that could potentially impact the politics of war-and-conflicts in the Middle East.
- The rescinding of economic sanctions on Syria by President Trump's administration and the subsequent policy-and-legislation changes are seen as a step towards greater engagement in general-news, with diplomatic groundwork being laid for broader regional stability.
