Trump announces plan to lift sanctions, Syrian people take to the streets to celebrate
President Donald Trump announced on May 13 that he planned to lift sanctions on Syria after the fall of Mr Assad's regime last year, saying the move would "give them a chance to be great".
'Syria's chance to shine'
The lifting of sanctions is a significant victory for the Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who took power in December 2024. It is likely to be seen as a major blow to the Israeli government, which has escalated military operations and territorial expansion in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime.
Speaking at a Saudi Arabian investment forum in Riyadh, Mr Trump said he made the decision after discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"Syria, they have endured so much tragedy, so much war, so much killing for so many years. That is why my administration has taken the first steps toward restoring normal relations between the United States and Syria for the first time in more than a decade," he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with Syria's foreign minister in Türkiye "later this week," Trump said.
After decades in power, the Assad regime collapsed under the Biden administration in December 2024, and Syria’s new leaders had hoped Mr Trump would consider lifting the heavy sanctions imposed on the country.
“The sanctions were devastating and crippling, and they served an important function — really an important function — at the time. But now it’s their time to shine,” Mr. Trump said. “So I said, ‘Good luck, Syria.’ Show us something special.”
Mr Trump expressed hope that the new Syrian government "will hopefully be successful in stabilizing the country and keeping the peace".
New Syrian President al-Sharaa previously founded an armed group called Jabhat al-Nusra, or “Victory Front” in English, which pledged allegiance to al Qaeda. But he broke away from the terrorist group in 2016, according to the US Center for Naval Analyses.
Mr Trump is expected to meet informally with al-Sharaa in Riyadh on May 14, a White House official said earlier on May 13 — the highest-level contact to date between Syria’s new government and the Trump administration. The US has not formally re-established diplomatic relations or recognized al-Sharaa’s government, but sources said there has been interaction at a lower level.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani welcomed the news of the US lifting of sanctions.
“We see the lifting of sanctions as a new beginning on the road to reconstruction,” he posted on X. “Thanks to the stance of our Arab brothers – led by Saudi Arabia – we are opening a new chapter towards a future worthy of the Syrian people and their history.”
The UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, also welcomed the announcement, saying the lifting of sanctions was urgent to allow the provision of essential services such as health and education, as well as economic recovery.
The US move comes after the UK and European Union lifted some, but not all, of their sanctions on Syria earlier this year.
On Capitol Hill, the top senators on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — Republican Sen. Jim Risch and Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen — encouraged the move ahead of Trump’s trip. Shaheen said in a statement on May 13 that she was “encouraged by the President’s announcement to act quickly and is reaching out to the State Department and National Security Council to ensure this long-awaited window of opportunity does not close on Syria.”
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Mr Trump, offered a more reserved response.
"I am very much in favor of lifting sanctions on Syria under the right conditions. However, we must remember that the current leadership in Syria got to where it is by force, not through the will of the people," the South Carolina lawmaker said.
Mr Graham, who said in a press release that he had just arrived in Türkiye, noted that he had “been in close contact with Israel, as they are extremely concerned about the situation on the ground in Syria”.
“During this trip, I will discuss this issue with our allies in Türkiye and will maintain extremely close coordination with our allies in Israel so that we can fully understand the implications of the sanctions waiver,” he said.
Syrian people take to the streets to celebrate
Meanwhile, videos on social media showed jubilant crowds in the main square of the city of Homs. People were seen waving Syrian and Saudi flags as the crowd chanted: "Long live Saudi Arabia, long live Saudi Arabia! Long live Salman, long live Salman!" in an apparent reference to the Saudi crown prince. Another video from the city showed large crowds gathered outside as fireworks lit up the night sky.
"As revolutionary Syrians, our ultimate goal is to rebuild our country," said Osaid Basha, who was celebrating in Homs.
He thanked the US and said Mr Trump's announcement "marks the first step towards recovery, and towards restoring Syria to its previous state – or even better".
“One of the main goals of the revolution – toppling the regime – has been achieved,” he told CNN. “Now the focus must be on moving the country forward.”
Video from the city of Latakia shows cars and motorbikes driving through the streets, honking their horns as their occupants wave Syrian flags.
The country's Minister of Economy and Trade, Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar, broke down in tears live on Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya television, as he stressed that Syria "is now entering a new phase".
"Syria's revival is about to begin. We are heading towards an economic renaissance, now that the international community has reopened its doors to us," he said through tears, stressing that the country's new government and investors were ready.
“The Syrian people will soon enjoy an unprecedented level of relief and comfort,” he cried.
Natasha Hall, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Middle East Program, told CNN that while the announcement marks a victory for al-Sharaa, it is also a victory for the Saudi crown prince.
"[Trump] is saying this publicly perhaps to reassure others that they have had tacit approval to give Syria a better chance, a window of opportunity, and so the foreign policy aspect of this is a pretty big deal," Hall said. "Now if that's also accompanied by some sort of public meeting between al-Sharaa and Trump, or even a secret meeting, that means the US is clearly taking steps in the direction of giving Syria a chance to rebuild."
Mr. Al-Shaar told Al Arabiya that he expected the impact of the lifting of sanctions to begin as soon as the country was reconnected to SWIFT, a messaging service that connects financial institutions around the world.
“Funds will start flowing in, initially from Syrians abroad, then from supporting countries. The economic wheels will start turning, and promises of trade and investment will start to materialize, because the landscape is now open for investment,” he said. The minister said “the path is now clear” for anyone who wants to invest in Syria, and this, in turn, will bring some financial relief to the country’s people.