What are the remaining US sanctions still imposed on Syria?
On Tuesday, the US President signed a new executive order ending some of the sanctions imposed by the United States on Syria over decades, but maintaining Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, along with some other sanctions, most notably the Caesar Act.
This decision reflects a radical shift in US policy toward Damascus, particularly after Trump’s announcement on May 13 that all sanctions would be lifted, as well as his meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa in Riyadh, which opened a new door for dialogue between the two countries.
Despite recent positive steps taken by the US administration, other sanctions remain in effect, including Syria’s 1979 designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, which prohibits foreign aid to Syria and the export of defense equipment to the country.
However, the al Monitor website quoted a senior Trump administration official as saying that this designation is “under review,” which could pave the way for future amendments.
The Caesar Act, which imposes sweeping sanctions on the Assad regime aimed at financially isolating it, remains in effect, although the Trump administration granted a six-month waiver last June, along with a general license permitting some financial transactions with the Syrian Central Bank and other government institutions that were previously prohibited.
The executive order directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review the possibility of suspending the Caesar Act in whole or in part if certain criteria are met.
In a move that highlights a further development, members of both the Democratic and Republican parties in Congress have introduced a bill to repeal the Caesar Act.
This proposal is expected to be included in the amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act at the end of this year.
The executive order didn’t include removing Hay’at Tahrir al Sham from the list of terrorist organizations, but it did request that the Secretary of State review this designation, which Washington imposed in 2017, when the group controlled Idlib province.
The resolution also maintained sanctions on Bashar al Assad and his associates, as well as those blacklisted for human rights violations, terrorism, arms proliferation, and involvement in the Captagon trade.
A step towards revitalizing the Syrian economy.
President Trump described this executive order as an end to the sanction’s framework imposed by the United States on Syria, which was intended to punish the Assad regime but has become an obstacle to Syria’s reconstruction after years of war.
US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack described the executive order as a “comprehensive opportunity” to revive the Syrian economy, noting that the US administration is providing an opportunity without directly participating in the reconstruction process.
