Syria31 May, 20263 min read
Ahmed Al-Sharaa Calls Donald Trump To Lift Remaining U.S. Sanctions On Syria
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Al-Sharaa urged Trump to lift remaining sanctions to boost Syria's economy. U.S. Congress approved permanent lifting of Caesar Act sanctions on Syria.
Phone call on sanctions
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump in which they discussed supporting the Syrian economy and the latest regional developments, according to the Syrian presidency.
During the call, Sharaa said lifting the remaining US sanctions on Syria was essential to reviving the economy and attracting investments, while Trump stressed the importance of maintaining stability and supporting the recovery and reconstruction process in Syria.
The U.S. said some sanctions remain in place despite dismantling most of its Syria sanctions regime and repealing the Caesar Act, which imposed sweeping measures on individuals, companies and institutions linked to former president Bashar al-Assad.
Washington said sanctions will continue to target Assad and his associates, as well as alleged human rights abusers, traffickers in the addictive stimulant Captagon, and other actors it says are destabilising the region.
The U.S. also said it is reviewing Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, which carries restrictions on US foreign help, defence exports and certain financial transactions.
Diverging emphasis on relief
Breakingthenews.net said al-Sharaa urged Trump to lift the remaining sanctions and described removing them as a "fundamental step" to allow the Syrian economy to recover. In the same call, Trump stressed the importance of "maintaining stability and supporting the recovery and reconstruction process in Syria," according to the Syrian presidency statement carried by Breakingthenews.net. An Anadolu Ajansı report said lifting remaining sanctions would represent a fundamental step toward enabling economic recovery and reconstruction, while Trump emphasized the need to prioritize diplomacy and dialogue to strengthen regional security and peace.
The Jerusalem Post added that Sharaa emphasized lifting sanctions as an essential step toward reviving the Syrian economy and attracting investment, and said both parties agreed on further coordination and communication between the two countries. The Jerusalem Post also reported that Trump announced US Special Envoy Tom Barrack would remain in his position, retaining roles as US Ambassador to Turkey and as Special Presidential Envoy to Iraq.
Sanctions repeal and fallout
Separate from the phone diplomacy, multiple outlets described the U.S. Congress approving the permanent lifting of sanctions tied to the Caesar Act, with France 24 saying the Senate voted on Wednesday with 77 votes for and 20 against.
France 24 reported that the repeal is included in the defense policy bill the Senate approved on Wednesday, and said the measure now must be signed into law by the American president.
Euronews said the UN refugee agency head in Lebanon, Karolina Lindholm Billing, linked the U.S. decision to lift harsh sanctions with the possibility of encouraging more refugees to return, and cited that about 400,000 Syrian refugees have returned since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Euronews also said refugees returning from neighboring countries are entitled to cash payments of $600 (€511) per family on their return, while the World Bank estimate put rebuilding homes and infrastructure damaged or destroyed by the civil war at $216 billion (€184 billion).
In the Syrian presidency framing of the phone call, Sharaa tied sanctions relief to reconstruction and reconstruction-linked investment, while the U.S. position described in the same reporting continued to target Assad and his associates and alleged human rights abusers and Captagon traffickers.