Earlier in the week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that lifts most U.S. sanctions on Syria. This decision, according to experts, signals a growing awareness within the administration of the potential for Syria to present a strategic advantage for the United States. Once a hotspot for Iranian influence and Islamist terrorism, Syria now offers a unique chance for the U.S. to regain regional influence, counter adversaries, and bolster allies such as Israel and Jordan.
During a White House press briefing on Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters, “This is another example of the president fulfilling his promises,” referencing Trump’s recent meeting with Syria’s new interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, during his visit to Saudi Arabia. “He is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with both itself and its neighboring countries.”
David Schenker, a former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs and current senior fellow at the Washington Institute, told Fox News Digital, “The sanctions achieved their purpose. They were largely crippling. The country’s economy was virtually lifeless. But now, Trump is providing Syria with an opportunity to thrive.”
He said, however, that deeper U.S.-Syrian cooperation could bring new complications. “There’s always a risk that as ties deepen, either the U.S. could reduce its presence – or al-Sharaa might ask us to scale back,” Ali said. “That could impact our ability to monitor jihadist activity or manage the tens of thousands of ISIS detainees still in camps guarded by SDF forces.”
Meanwhile, the diplomatic implications of Trump’s move are drawing global attention. Syria’s new leadership has publicly distanced itself from Iran, reportedly blocked Hezbollah weapon shipments, and dismantled multiple Iranian military posts across the country.
“The president is genuinely focused on expanding the Abraham Accords,” said Schenker. “He sees Syria as the next possible candidate.”
NSC spokesman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. “President Trump is working towards lasting peace in the Middle East, which includes supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors. The President is empowering Syria’s success by lifting sanctions on export controls while maintaining sanctions on terrorists and all other potential threats to the United States. The President made a promise to give Syria a chance to rebuild and thrive by lifting sanctions, and this President keeps his promises.”
A masked Islamic State terrorist holds the ISIS flag in 2015. (Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Still, normalization with Israel remains politically fraught. Syria remains officially at war with the Jewish state, and while Sharaa has hinted at accepting the pre-1974 ceasefire lines, jihadist factions and Islamist groups within Syria remain staunchly opposed. “There have already been reported assassination attempts on Sharaa,” Schenker said. “It’s going to get harder if he moves from non-belligerency to full normalization.”
Charles Lister, director of the Syria program at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital, “Syria has always been an open wound in the center of the region – an engine of instability… But if it stabilizes now, it unlocks a path for broader regional integration. It connects Israel and Jordan to a more secure arc and reduces the need for heavy U.S. military involvement.”
Syrians gather at Umayyad Square to celebrate the collapse of 61 years of Baath Party rule in Damascus on Dec. 9, 2024. (Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Despite encouraging signs on the diplomatic track – such as reported back-channel talks and reduced rhetoric – Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory have continued, with hundreds launched this year alone. Syria’s new leadership has not responded militarily, but tensions remain high.
“The facts on the ground don’t yet reflect the progress being made behind closed doors,” Lister said. “We just have to hope that those two dynamics meet in the middle, and things calm down on the ground as well.”
