Trump lifts decade of economic sanctions on Syria citing energy investment needs

On May 13, 2025, President Trump announced at a Saudi investment forum in Riyadh that he would lift Syria sanctions to "give them a chance at greatness," following discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkey's President Erdoğan. (CNN: "Trump announces plan to lift punishing sanctions on Syria")

The December 8, 2024 collapse of the Assad regime came after a ten-day offensive by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, who previously fought US forces in Iraq as an al-Qaeda commander under the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. (Wikipedia: "Fall of the Assad regime")

On May 23, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 25, broadly permitting transactions previously banned under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 542). (OFAC: "Syria Sanctions - Inactive and Archived")

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a 180-day waiver of mandatory Caesar Act sanctions on May 23, 2025, to ensure sanctions do not impede stability-driving investments and Syria's recovery efforts. (State Department: "Providing Sanctions Relief for the Syrian People")

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the sanctions termination would "help provide the opportunity to reconnect Syria's economy with global commerce and rebuild the country's infrastructure," removing 518 individuals and entities from the SDN List on June 30, 2025. (Treasury Press Release SB0183)

Terrorist-designated individuals under Executive Order 13224 remain blocked even after the general sanctions rollback, with sanctions maintained on Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, Captagon traffickers, and terrorist organizations. (White House Fact Sheet: June 30, 2025)

General License 25 does not revoke preexisting narrower licenses for U.S. humanitarian NGOs; those organizations retain their prior authorizations. (OFAC FAQ: "Effect of GL 25 on Existing Licenses")

US energy companies ConocoPhillips and Chevron signed preliminary agreements with the Syrian Petroleum Company following sanctions relief, with Chevron representatives meeting President al-Sharaa in December 2025 to discuss energy cooperation. (Al Jazeera: "Syria's war-ravaged oil sector")

Congress introduced H.R. 4427 (Syria Sanctions Accountability Act of 2025) to modernize U.S. sanctions policy for a post-Assad Syria and require assessments on existing sanctions relief provisions. (Congress.gov: "H.R. 4427")

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, led the bipartisan effort to fully repeal the Caesar Act, which Congress approved in the December 18, 2025 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. (Al Jazeera: "US Congress advances bill to nix Caesar Act")

CAATSA Title XI provides that Congress may re-impose Syria sanctions via a joint resolution of disapproval within 60 days of a presidential waiver or termination. (CRS In Focus: "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act")

In 2004, President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13338 under IEEPA to impose the first wide-ranging Syria sanctions. (Federal Register: E.O. 13338)

In 2018, the Trump Administration terminated the long-standing Sudan sanctions following détente talks, establishing precedent for wholesale sanctions removal. (State Department Archive: "Final Lifting of Sudan Sanctions")

The EU declined to lift its Syria sanctions in May 2025, maintaining human-rights measures against the Assad regime despite the US policy shift, creating a transatlantic divide on sanctions policy. (Politico Europe: "EU to Keep Syria Sanctions after US Shift")

The US revoked Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's foreign terrorist group designation in July 2025, followed by the UK in October, despite HTS's origins as Al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate that al-Sharaa founded in 2012. (Wikipedia: "Ahmed al-Sharaa")

General License 25 excludes transactions involving Bashar al-Assad or other Specially Designated Nationals not listed in the license's Annex, and does not authorize unblocking of property that was blocked as of May 22, 2025. (OFAC: "Syria Sanctions - Inactive and Archived")

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) was the sole House Democrat to oppose full Caesar Act repeal in the Financial Services Committee, arguing for conditions requiring Syria's government to demonstrate commitment to protecting minorities. (The Hill: "Syria sanctions split Congress")

In July 2025, the US revoked the terrorist designation of HTS, allowing formal diplomatic and economic engagement with Ahmad al-Sharaa's government, which formed a 23-minister transitional cabinet in March 2025 including Alawite, Christian, Druze, and Kurdish representatives. (CNN: "Ahmad al-Sharaa named Syria's president")

Trump's decision to lift Syria sanctions came as a surprise to senior officials inside the Treasury Department, which administers and enforces sanctions policy. (CBS News: "Trump's decision to lift Syria sanctions took U.S. sanctions officials by surprise")

On June 30, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order that removes U.S. sanctions on Syria, effective July 1, 2025, though sanctions remain on Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, Captagon traffickers, persons linked to Syria's past proliferation activities, ISIS and Al-Qa'ida affiliates, and Iran and its proxies. (White House Fact Sheet: June 30, 2025)