US Begins Lifting Broad Sanctions on Syria Amid Recovery Efforts

The Trump administration has initiated the lifting of sanctions on Syria, fulfilling President Trump's recent pledge to remove economic restrictions on the war-torn nation and facilitate its recovery. The U.S. Treasury Department issued General License 25 (GL25), effectively authorizing transactions previously prohibited under Syrian Sanctions Regulations and enabling new investment and private sector activity aligned with the America First strategy. Concurrently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a 180-day waiver under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act to prevent sanctions from hindering investments and humanitarian efforts, including the provision of electricity, water, and sanitation. These measures represent the first steps toward a new relationship between the United States and Syria following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad and the rise of an interim government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa. The Syrian government welcomed the sanctions relief as a positive move to alleviate the country’s humanitarian and economic suffering after years of civil war and economic collapse. The U.S. administration indicated that further progress by Syria on stability and counterterrorism conditions could lead to the repeal of sanctions laws in the future.