How Will Lifting US Sanctions Affect Syria?

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Syrians met the news of the decision by United States President Donald Trump to lift all sanctions on the country with joy and celebration — with dozens of men, women and children gathering in Damascus’s Umayyad Square.

They blasted music while others drove by in their cars, waving Syrian flags.

“My joy is great, this decision will definitely affect the entire country positively. Construction will return, the displaced will return, and prices will go down,” said Huda Qassar, a 33-year-old English language teacher, celebrating with her compatriots.

In the northern province of Idlib, manufacturer Bassam al-Ahmed, 39, said he was very happy about the lifting of US sanctions.

“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.

An aerial view of a busy, lit-up central square connecting to highways and roads leading to various areas in a city. There are buildings and vehicles visible at a distance.

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.

The Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement the country welcomed Trump’s announcement, calling it a “pivotal turning point for the Syrian people, as we seek to emerge from a long and painful chapter of war”.

“The removal of those sanctions offers a vital opportunity for Syria to pursue stability, self-sufficiency, and meaningful national reconstruction, led by and for the Syrian people,” the statement 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?

Ever since in December, Syria’s new Islamist rulers have been pushing Western states to lift sanctions imposed on the country largely during the former president’s rule.

During his visit to Paris last week, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said there was no justification for maintaining European sanctions imposed against the Assad government.

“These sanctions were imposed on the previous regime because of the crimes it committed, and this regime is gone,” Sharaa said in a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

“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

The US declared Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979, added sanctions in 2004 and imposed further sanctions after the civil war broke out in 2011.

US sanctions have isolated Syria from the global financial system and imposed a range of economic restrictions on the government throughout more than a decade of civil war.

The lingering sanctions have widely been viewed as a major obstacle to Syria’s economic recovery and post-war reconstruction.

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.

People celebrate by waving Syrian flags on a street.

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.

He said steps were being taken to restore normal relations with Syria, and US secretary of state Marco Rubio would meet his Syrian counterpart this week.

Syrian foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani expressed “gratitude” to Saudi Arabia for its role in pushing for the lifting of the sanctions.

Syrian finance minister Mohammed Barnieh said Trump’s lifting of sanctions “will help Syria in building its institutions, providing essential services to the people and will create great opportunities to attract investment and restore confidence in Syria’s future”.

Mazloum Abdi, leader of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, welcomed the decision, saying he hopes it “will be invested in supporting stability and reconstruction, ensuring a better future for all Syrians”.

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