Newsletters
United States President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he will lift what he called “brutal and crippling” sanctions on Syria, following consultations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other regional leaders.
“After discussing the situation in Syria with the crown prince—your crown prince—and also with President Erdogan of Turkey, who called me the other day and asked for a very similar thing… I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump declared during an investment forum in Riyadh.
Trump confirmed Monday that President Erdogan had asked him to lift U.S. sanctions on Damascus, adding that Washington is coordinating with the Turkish leader on Syria.
Referring to Syria’s transition from decades of Assad family rule, Trump added: “It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off… So I say, ‘Good luck Syria. Show us something very special, like they’ve done, frankly, in Saudi Arabia.’”
The announcement comes one day after Trump signaled he was considering lifting the measures and marks the most decisive Western policy shift since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December. Assad, who led Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s grip on power since 1963.
France has also moved toward normalization. Last week, President Emmanuel Macron hosted Syria’s new President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris and said the European Union would begin gradually lifting sanctions..
Syria's foreign minister said on Tuesday that U.S. President Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Syria was a "pivotal turning point" for the country.
Speaking to Syrian state news agency SANA, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said he welcomed Trump's announcement, calling it a "pivotal turning point for the Syrian people, as we move towards a future of stability, self-sufficiency and genuine reconstruction after years of destructive war".
“We view this announcement very positively and are ready to build a relationship with the US based on mutual respect, trust, and shared interests,” he added.
He also said Trump “has the potential to secure a historic peace deal and a real victory for American interests in Syria,” and “he has already done more for the Syrian people than his predecessors, who allowed war criminals to cross red lines and commit massacres.”
A White House official confirmed that Trump will meet al-Sharaa on Wednesday in Riyadh, though details of the meeting remain under wraps. However, Al-Shaibani declined to comment on a White House official's statement that Trump had agreed to meet Syrian president.
Trump also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Türkiye later this week, as diplomatic momentum builds in the region for a new chapter in Syria's post-Assad era.
1 min read
1 min read
