“It is the right of the Syrian people, after 14 years of war and 50 years of the [Bashar al-] Assads’ oppression, to live through stability and safety,” he said.

Syrian people flocked to the streets in the capital, Damascus, to celebrate Donald Trump’s decision. Source: Anadolu / Amadeusz Mikolaj Swierk

“The most important thing is economic stability, which cannot be achieved without lifting American sanctions to increase investment opportunities within Syria and encourage people to work, in addition to securing raw materials and many products that Syria has been deprived of due to sanctions,” Ahmed said.

In a speech given in Riyadh amidst his trip to the Middle East, Trump said he “will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness”.

Why did Syria’s government advocate for US sanctions to be removed?

“With the removal of the regime, these sanctions should be removed as well, and there is no justification for keeping the sanctions,” he said.

Impact of US sanctions on Syria

Removing US sanctions that cut Syria off from the global financial system will clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organisations working in Syria, easing foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds.

Syria welcomed Donald Trump’s decision, calling it a “pivotal turning point”, as celebrations broke out in Damascus. Source: AFP / Bakr Alkasem

Trump said he would remove all sanctions, saying they had served an important function, but it was time for Syria to move forward.