The Media Line: Trump Administration Grants Syria Major Sanctions Relief 

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Trump Administration Grants Syria Major Sanctions Relief 

By The Media Line Staff 

The Trump administration on Friday began the process of sweeping sanctions relief for Syria, marking a major policy shift aimed at bolstering the country’s interim government and jump-starting reconstruction efforts after more than a decade of civil war. The move comes months after the ousting of longtime leader Bashar Assad and the installation of former rebel commander Ahmad al-Sharaa Syria’s new head of state. 

The US Treasury and State Departments jointly suspended enforcement of most financial penalties imposed under the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which had blocked foreign investment and reconstruction by targeting anyone doing business with sanctioned Syrian entities. The six-month waivers are intended to give Syria’s new leadership a chance to stabilize the country and attract urgently needed capital. 

“This is the opportunity for a fresh start,” the Trump administration said in a statement. 

The US has made clear that future relief depends on specific policy actions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Friday that sanctions relief must be followed by “prompt action by the Syrian government on important policy priorities.” 

A road map proposed last week by the US State Department outlines phased relief tied to disarming extremist groups, integrating US-backed Kurdish forces, and normalizing relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.  

Israeli media reported this week that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested that President Trump not remove sanctions on Syria. Israel views the new Syrian regime with scepticism, with officials describing al-Sharaa as a “terrorist in a suit.”