US President Donald Trump is planning to lift sanctions on Syria after the Assad government collapsed in December 2024. Trump announced the move during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. He said that Syria has faced years of war and violence, but now it’s time for the country to start rebuilding, and said the sanctions, which were meant to pressure the Assad regime, are no longer necessary.
New Leadership in Syria
Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Shara, formerly a leader of the armed opposition that ousted Assad, is expected to meet Trump informally in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. Trump said he discussed the plan to lift sanctions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also set to meet with Syrian officials in Turkey later this week to discuss normalizing relations.
Lifting Sanctions
The sanctions were imposed on Syria for years due to the Assad regime’s actions. Trump said that Syria has been through a lot and that his administration is taking steps to improve relations. He also mentioned that Syria has shown “something very special” recently. The US and Syria have not had normal relations for over a decade. Trump’s administration is now working to change that. The CNN reported on Trump’s announcement.