Syria11 July, 20263 min read
Syrians React In Damascus As U.S. Removes Syria From Terrorism Sponsor List
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
United States lifts sanctions on Syria, triggering nationwide celebrations. Stock exchange reopened; IMF and World Bank return; investors returning cautiously.
Sanctions Relief Sparks Hope
Syrians in Damascus and beyond reacted to the United States’ decision to remove Syria from the state sponsor of terrorism list, with Al Jazeera reporting that the move revived economic hopes after decades of al-Assad family rule and more than a decade of civil war. Al Jazeera said the designation had impeded Syria’s rejoining of the international community and that sending money home often requires routing transfers through neighbouring countries such as Lebanon or Turkiye, while access to some websites and online services including Netflix and Slack may require a virtual private network.
Ihab, a pastry shop owner in central Damascus, said, "God willing, it will improve things," as the lifting of the designation was framed as a step toward allowing Syria to "finally flourish." Al Jazeera also quoted Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer on security studies at King’s College London, saying the removal is "the last major impediment to international economic and political engagement with Syria" and the al-Sharaa administration.
Jubilation and Caution
Courrier international described jubilation after Donald Trump’s May 13 announcement from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia that the United States was lifting sanctions imposed on Syria, saying thousands of people spontaneously took to streets and squares in Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Idlib, Latakia, and Tartus.
In Idlib, a demonstrator told the pan-Arab Al Jazeera media outlet that after fourteen years of war and fifty years of Assad oppression, "the Syrian people have the right to live in stability and security" and that their joy is immense.
Le Parisien reported that at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday crowds gathered on Umayyad Square after the announcement, with Siba, 16, saying, "I have no words. The sanctions meant no future for us in Syria."
Le Parisien also quoted Hadi, standing nearby, exclaiming, "I’ll be able to open a bank account!" as it linked sanctions to cutting Syria off from the international financial system and leaving the economy "gasping."
What Comes Next
Radio France said that last May 13, Donald Trump announced the full lifting of sanctions on Syria and that a week later the European Union followed suit, adding that a month later the Damascus stock exchange reopened and the IMF and the World Bank returned to Syria’s path. Radio France reported that CMA CGM had concluded an agreement to develop and manage the port of Latakia, with 230 million euros to be invested, and that the United Arab Emirates signed a contract of 800 million dollars for the Port of Tartus.
Radio France warned that lifting sanctions alone is not enough for money to flow freely, and it said one technical obstacle is connecting Syria to the international banking system, SWIFT, while the governor of the Syrian central bank estimated this could be the case in a few weeks. In the same period, Al Jazeera said interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration has identified the removal of all international and US sanctions as the key to reinvigorating the economy, while Rob Geist Pinfold cautioned that the designation removal does not mean "that there’s no more hurdles to investment or engagement with Syria."