ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he may lift sanctions on Syria to give the interim government in Damascus a “fresh start.”
“We are going to have to make a decision on the sanctions which we may very well relieve, we may take them off of Syria because we want to give them a fresh start,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Signed into law by Trump in 2019 and enacted in 2020, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act or “Caesar Act” authorizes sanctions against the Syrian government and its allies for war crimes committed during the civil war. It is named after a defector known as "Caesar" who smuggled out tens of thousands of photos documenting torture in Syrian prisons.
Sanctions apply to Syrian officials and foreign entities that supported the deposed regime of Bashar al-Assad, particularly in the construction, energy, and military sectors. The act is designed to pressure the former regime into a political transition and block reconstruction without accountability.
The sanctions have left a significant impact on Syria’s economy.
The Syrian foreign ministry welcomed Trump’s remarks, calling them “an encouraging step towards alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people.”
It added that while the sanctions were originally imposed on the ousted regime, “they now directly impact the Syrian people and obstruct the path to post-war recovery and reconstruction.”
The Syrian people seek full sanctions removal to support peace, prosperity, and international cooperation for regional stability, the ministry noted.
The US has granted limited sanctions relief for humanitarian purposes since the fall of the regime, but its broader sanctions remain.
Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Muhammad Nidal al-Shaar told Rudaw on Friday that he expects international sanctions on his country will be lifted soon.
“Sanctions are a temporary issue, and these matters will be resolved in the near future,” he said on the sidelines of an exhibition in Damascus.
Damascus has called for the lifting of international sanctions imposed since 2011, arguing they obstruct economic recovery and reconstruction. Former UN adviser Volker Perthes echoed the call, urging an end to sanctions that hinder Syria’s rebuilding.
Some European countries have eased restrictions. In April, the UK lifted sanctions on Syrian ministries and state media, while France and Germany have linked broader relief to the formation of an inclusive government.
Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa criticized the continued European sanctions as unjustified during a recent joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, who said the EU would lift sanctions gradually.
