US President Announces Plans to Cancel Sanctions Against Syria
During a visit to Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump announced plans for the cancellation of paralyzing sanctions against Syria and marked a great political shift in Washington. The country was isolated by sanctions by the United States and the European Union over the conflict, a name from 1979 as a state sponsor of terrorism and close relationships between Damascus and Iran.
Background of Sanctions
These curbs blocked exports, frozen assets, and limited access to global payment systems, which further decimated an economy with the war. The sanctions also exacerbate humanitarian crises, which the UN estimates pushed 90% of Syrians below the poverty line. Trump agreed to raise the sanctions despite the opposition of Israel for national security reasons with regard to the concerns of the past of Syria to Iran and the Hisbollah.
Trump’s Announcement
Trump said Syria had a new government "that hopefully will succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace". Therefore, he would "order the attitude of sanctions against Syria to give them a chance of size". During a three-day visit to the Arab Gulf States, the US President said that it was the "time to the shine" of the country of war before asked the new leadership in Damascus, "showing us something very special".
Reaction to the Announcement
Trump said the decision was followed by discussions with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Both guides have pushed for change since the case of the Dictator Bashar Assad’s regime at the end of last year, in which Ahmad al-Sharaa, head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) competitive group, entered to lead an interim government. Trump’s sanction relief caused celebrations in several Syrian cities on Tuesday evening.
How the Lifting of Sanctions Helps
The US legislature on both sides also gave the sanction relief together with the United Nations. By picking up the sanction, the aid agencies can accelerate their deliveries of food, medicine, and other important care to those who need the most urgently. It will also smooth the way for wealthy neighbors Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in order to make great investments and to promote economic relaxation that the region could stabilize.
Economic Challenges
The extent of the challenge is immense, and the development program of the United Nations (UNDP) warns at the beginning of this year that the Syrian economy lost 800 billion US dollars (712 billion euros) during the war. In a report by the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, a necessity of 400 to 600 billion US dollars quoted in January to finance the reconstruction, while others placed the number to almost 1 trillion US dollar.
International Support
Natasha Hall, Senior Fellow for the Middle East in the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, said that several countries are nervous about the reaction of the United States to business with the new Syrian leadership and are "looked up" to eliminate the sanctions. Turkey has expressed an interest in rebuilding Syria’s oil and gas sector, and will probably invest considerably, especially in areas of northern Syria, which are under its influence.
Role of Syrian Diaspora
The role of Syrian diaspora, which will contribute significantly through transfers, financing of community projects and reserved specialist knowledge, including doctors and engineers, will also be of crucial importance. Anwar al-Qassem, an economic analyst, believes that the Syrian economy, even in the most optimistic scenario, needs a miracle to recover.
Processing of Sanctions
Trump’s announcement was the simple part. US officials must now determine which sanctions can be canceled quickly and which may be subject to the conditions for the new leadership of Syria. It will take some time, and the devil will be in the details. The US Ministry of Finance would now decide on the scope of suspension.
Challenges Ahead
Ziad Ayoub Arabash, a Syrian academic, consultant, and professor at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Damascus, believes that corruption and weak government institutions would now represent the greatest challenges for the reconstruction efforts. A study predicted that the Syria economy vans significantly without sanctions resuscitation of the areas of oil and gas, raw materials, communication, and technology.
