OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:04 PM – Tuesday, May 13, 2025
President Donald Trump announced the United States’ intention to lift sanctions on Syria, signaling a restoration of diplomatic relations under the new GOP leadership.
Trump announced the news in front of a large audience in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump began.
“In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace. That’s what we want to see,” President Trump continued.
Syria has experienced U.S. sanctions since 1979, after it was designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism –prior to additional sanctions against the nation in 2004 and 2011.
However, most recently, the nation has seen the collapse of the Assad regime, after the “rebel” opposition group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led a surprise offensive attack in December of 2024 — commanded by former Al Qaeda member Ahmed al-Sharaa, who became the new president.
Al-Sharaa, who claims to be “reformed,” was previously imprisoned in Iraq for his role in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Nevertheless, he now presents himself as a much more moderate figure that is willing to cooperate with “the West.”
The Assad regime, which was previously propped up by Russia and Iran, were unable to prevent Assad’s fall — due to involvement in conflicts of their own. As the capital city of Damascus fell, Assad and his family fled to Moscow, Russia.
“In Syria, they’ve had their share of travesty, war, killing many years. That’s why my administration has already taken the first steps toward restoring normal relations between the United States and Syria for the first time in more than a decade,” Trump stated.
President Trump is now expected to meet with al-Sharaa on Wednesday, marking the first time that a Syrian leader has met with a U.S. President since 2000 — when Hafez Assad met with former President Bill Clinton.
“Now, it’s their time to shine,” Trump added. “So I say, Good luck Syria. Show us something very special, like they’ve done, frankly, in Saudi Arabia.”
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