Trump announces sanctions relief for Syria

On June 30, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order revoking longstanding sanctions on Syria. “The United States is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors. A united Syria that does not offer a safe haven for terrorist organizations and ensures the security of its religious and ethnic minorities will support regional security and prosperity,” the order stated.

The statement further explained that the order advances US national security and foreign policy objectives by lifting sanctions on Syria and authorizing waivers to ease export controls and other restrictions.

The following executive orders were formally terminated:

1. Executive Order 13338 (2004) – Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Export of Certain Goods to Syria
2. Executive Order 13399 (2006) – Blocking Property of Additional Persons in Connection with the National Emergency with Respect to Syria
3. Executive Order 13460 (2008) – Blocking Property of Additional Persons in Connection with the National Emergency with Respect to Syria
4. Executive Order 13572 (2011) – Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to Human Rights Abuses in Syria
5. Executive Order 13573 (2011) – Blocking Property of Senior Officials of the Government of Syria
6. Executive Order 13582 (2011) – Blocking Property of the Government of Syria and Prohibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to Syria

The statement also clarified that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, “in consultation with” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pam Bondi, “shall take all appropriate actions concerning the designation of the al-Nusra Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and other aliases, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization […] as well as the designation of Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani—also known as Ahmad al-Sharaa—as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”

Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), the successor to Al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al Nusrah, is a coalition of jihadist groups that also included Jabhat Fateh al Sham. Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa led both HTS and Jabhat al Nusrah. In 2012, the United States designated Jabhat al Nusrah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, extending the 2004 designation of Al Qaeda in Iraq. In 2013, Sharaa was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for his leadership of the group.

If these designations are lifted, all properties belonging to Sharaa subject to US jurisdiction would be unblocked, and US citizens would be permitted to engage in financial transactions with him or on his behalf.

Additionally, the order instructs the Secretary of State to initiate a review of Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.

The order updates and expands sanctions targeting individuals involved in activities that “threaten the peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity of Syria.” It authorizes asset freezes against anyone complicit in serious human rights abuses, linked to the captagon drug trade, affiliated with the former Assad regime, or involved in the disappearance of US nationals in Syria. The Secretary of State may also impose new sanctions on foreign individuals obstructing Syria’s constitutional reforms, supervised elections, or inclusive governance efforts.

Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian intervention in Arab affairs and the levant.