US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he was considering offering sanctions relief to Syria as the war-torn country seeks to rebuild following over a decade of civil conflict. Speaking to journalists at the White House before his departure on a trip to the Middle East, Trump said, “We are going to have to decide on the sanctions, which we may very well relieve. We may take them out of Syria because we want to give them a fresh start.”
The Syrian government, which recently saw a shift in power with the fall of longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December, is now focused on rebuilding its infrastructure and economy after nearly 14 years of devastating war. The new government has been pushing for the removal of sanctions that were imposed during Assad’s rule, hoping it would help revitalize the country’s economy and support reconstruction efforts, according to Reuters.
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Syria’s foreign ministry welcomed Trump’s comments, considering them “an encouraging step towards ending the suffering of the Syrian people.” The ministry’s statement emphasized that the sanctions imposed under the Assad regime have “directly targeted the Syrian people and hindered the recovery and reconstruction process.”
It further expressed hope that the full lifting of sanctions would support peace, prosperity, and constructive international cooperation in Syria and the wider region. While the Syrian government has been pushing for the complete removal of sanctions, some international actors have indicated that they will wait to assess how the new authorities exercise power, particularly in terms of respecting human rights, before agreeing to lift sanctions.
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These countries have opted for targeted and temporary exemptions as a more cautious approach. A report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published in February painted a grim picture of Syria’s economic future.
The report estimated that, at current growth rates, Syria would need more than 50 years to return to the economic level it had before the war. The UNDP stressed the need for substantial investment to accelerate Syria’s recovery and suggested that international support would be crucial for the country’s future reconstruction.
The consideration of sanctions relief by the Trump administration marks a significant development in the international approach to Syria, as global powers weigh the balance between supporting reconstruction and ensuring accountability for past human rights violations.
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