The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control has officially revoked the US sanctions regulations on the Syrian government, the department announced on Monday.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s executive order on June 30, which removed the longstanding sanctions on the Syrian government while maintaining sanctions on the deposed regime of Bashar Assad and other destabilizing actors.
The Treasury Department will publish its “final rule” to remove the sanctions in the Federal Register on Tuesday.
This policy shift by the Trump administration aims to differentiate between the former regime and the new government in Damascus.
Trump first revealed plans to lift the sanctions during a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May, stating the intention was to bolster the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
During that trip, Trump met Sharaa, describing him as a “tough guy” and a “fighter” with a “very strong past.” Washington is also exploring the normalization of relations with the new Syrian government.
The sanctions relief aligns with the Trump administration’s broader Middle East objectives, with officials expressing hopes that Syria could eventually join the Abraham Accords with Israel. While that has not yet happened, reports have indicated that the Trump administration is actively working to broker a preliminary security understanding between Israel and Syria ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.
US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack stated on Monday that Israel and Syria are not close to signing a security agreement, amid reports that such an agreement could be signed by the end of September.
Speaking to Axios’ Barak Ravid, Barrack said, "They have mutual intent and desire but at the moment, there is still more work to do.”
Barrack added, "Constructive dialogue between these nation states is the on ramp to a long-lasting understanding that will be the preface to stability and prosperity in the region."