Syria says US lifting of sanctions 'pivotal turning point'

DAMASCUS

Syrians celebrate in Umayyad Square after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to ease sanctions on Syria and move toward normalizing relations with its new government to give the country 'a chance at peace,' in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, May 13.

Syria on Tuesday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to lift sanctions the country, calling it a "pivotal turning point", as celebrations broke out in Damascus.

Trump said during the 2025 Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh that he would order the removal of “brutal and crippling” U.S. sanctions on Syria to give that country “a chance at greatness.”

In announcing the move, Trump said he was listening to the appeals of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement that the country welcomed Trump's announcement, calling it a "pivotal turning point for the Syrian people, as we seek to emerge from a long and painful chapter of war".

"The removal of those sanctions offers a vital opportunity for Syria to pursue stability, self-sufficiency, and meaningful national reconstruction, led by and for the Syrian people," the statement added.

In a speech given in Riyadh amidst Trump's trip to the Middle East, the U.S. president said he "will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness".

Ever since overthrowing longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria's new Islamist rulers have been pushing Western states to lift sanctions imposed on the country largely during the former president's rule.

During his visit to Paris last week, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said there was no justification for maintaining European sanctions imposed against the Assad government.

"These sanctions were imposed on the previous regime because of the crimes it committed, and this regime is gone," Sharaa said in a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"With the removal of the regime, these sanctions should be removed as well, and there is no justification for keeping the sanctions," he added.

U.S. sanctions have isolated Syria from the global financial system and imposed a range of economic restrictions on the government throughout more than a decade of civil war.

The lingering sanctions have widely been seen as a major obstacle to Syria's economic recovery and post-war reconstruction.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani expressed "gratitude" to Saudi Arabia for its role in pushing for the lifting of the sanctions.

“We welcome President Donald Trump’s recent comments about lifting sanctions that were imposed on Syria in response to war crimes committed by the Assad regime,” Asaad al-Shaibani told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Shaibani described it as “a pivotal turning point for the Syrian people as we move toward a future of stability, self-sufficiency and genuine reconstruction after years of devastating war.”

“We view this announcement very positively and are ready to build a relationship with the US based on mutual respect, trust and shared interests,” he added.

Shaibani said Trump “has the potential to secure a historic peace deal and a real victory for American interests in Syria” and “he has already done more for the Syrian people than his predecessors, who allowed war criminals to cross red lines and commit massacres.”

Shaibani also thanked Saudi Arabia, crediting its leadership and diplomacy for supporting Syria’s push to end the “unjust sanctions.”

In a post on X, he praised Riyadh’s role in backing Syria’s return to its effective role in the region, calling Saudi diplomacy “a voice of wisdom” and an affirmation of Arab unity.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday, a day ahead of a meeting with Trump, the Syrian presidency said in a statement.

Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier in the day, kicking off a Gulf tour that will continue with visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates—his first major international trip of his second term besides a brief visit to Italy for Pope Francis’ funeral.

Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh said Trump's lifting of sanctions "will help Syria in building its institutions, providing essential services to the people and will create great opportunities to attract investment and restore confidence in Syria's future".

Syrians met the news with joy and celebration, with dozens of men, women and children gathering in Damascus's Umayyad Square. They blasted music while others drove by in their cars waving Syrian flags.

A new transitional administration was formed in Syria in January following the fall of the Assad regime.

Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long grip on power that began in 1963.