Syria Sanctions Officially Ended, Citing “Chance at Greatness” Under New Leadership

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The Trump administration announced Monday that U.S. sanctions on Syria have been formally revoked, implementing President Donald Trump’s June 30 executive order “Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions.” The sweeping step marks the first time in over two decades that Washington has fully dismantled its sanctions framework against Damascus.

In a statement, the State Department said the move was designed to “give Syrians a chance at greatness” under the country’s new leadership while still holding accountable those involved in terrorism, weapons proliferation, and human rights abuses.

“Sanctions remain in place only against the worst of the worst — Assad’s cronies, war criminals, drug traffickers, and Iran’s proxies,” the Department noted.

Entire units of the former Syrian army — the Fourth Division, First Division, and the National Defense Forces — were delisted, alongside the state oil company SYTROL. OFAC has now removed all of these from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List.

End of a Two-Decade Sanctions Era

Trump determined that “the circumstances that led to declaring a national emergency in 2004 against Bashar Assad’s regime have fundamentally changed.” The administration cited “positive actions” by Syria’s new interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani), who took power earlier this year.

For the first time since 2005, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is deleting Syria sanctions regulations entirely from the federal code.

“This represents a comprehensive and precedent-setting step,” Treasury officials said, noting that while sanctions were occasionally adjusted in the past, the regulations themselves had never been abolished.

Limits and Continuing Restrictions

Officials emphasized that the change does not provide relief to terrorist organizations, human rights violators, or entities tied to chemical weapons. Those groups remain targeted under other legal authorities, including Executive Order 13894.

Pending legal cases and accumulated rights under the old sanctions regime will also remain in effect.

Regional Implications

The move comes as U.S.-mediated talks between Syria and Israel reportedly reach “an advanced stage.” Syrian President al-Sharaa told Arab journalists Monday that discussions are ongoing for a security agreement with Israel. However, he stressed that “a comprehensive peace agreement is not on the agenda at this stage.”

President Trump previously met al-Sharaa in Riyadh on May 14, signaling U.S. support for his transitional government. Still, critics remain concerned over al-Sharaa’s jihadist past and ties, questioning whether his leadership can truly break from Syria’s militant legacy.

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