A US delegation met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Monday, August 25, marking a major shift in relations between Washington and Damascus as the US announced the full removal of economic sanctions on Syria.
The delegation, led by US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, included Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Joe Wilson. The meetings focused on regional security, trade, and humanitarian conditions. The Syrian presidency said discussions highlighted ways to deepen dialogue and cooperation to strengthen stability.
“This visit opens the door to positive US involvement in the process of construction and stability in Syria,” the Syrian-American Coalition for Peace and Prosperity said in a statement, praising Shaheen for recognizing the impact of sanctions on civilians.
Sanctions Formally Lifted
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the removal of Syrian sanctions regulations from the Federal Code on Monday, implementing Executive Order 14312, signed June 30 by President Donald Trump. The decision ends a state of emergency in place since 2004 and repeals sanctions that spanned more than two decades.
“The circumstances that led to the imposition of sanctions on the former regime of Bashar al-Assad have changed radically over the past six months, including positive actions taken by the new Syrian government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa,” Trump said in the order.
While sanctions tied to the Assad government and groups involved in terrorism, chemical weapons or human rights violations remain in place, the Treasury Department confirmed the end of broad restrictions on Syria’s banking, trade, and export activities. The rule becomes effective Tuesday, Aug. 26, according to the Federal Register.
Reactions in Syria and Abroad
The Syrian Foreign Ministry welcomed the US decision, calling it “a positive development in the right direction” that would ease humanitarian conditions and expand trade opportunities. The ministry said lifting restrictions will allow American businesses and banks to return to the Syrian market, offering relief to citizens and opening “new horizons for economic and commercial cooperation.”
The Syrian-American Coalition urged Congress to go further, calling for a complete repeal of remaining measures such as the Caesar Act. “Syrian-Americans are uniting from all over communities to speak for the Syrian people in order to live and be free from sanctions,” the group said on the platform X.
A New Phase of Relations
Rep. Wilson described his meeting with Sharaa as “an honor,” noting that bipartisan support exists for further easing of restrictions. “The time has come to completely repeal the Caesar Act,” he said on X, calling it a priority for the administration.
Envoy Barrack stressed that ongoing dialogue, rather than conflict, is essential. “A unified, stable, and prosperous Syria requires representation from everyone, for everyone,” he said.
The coincidence of the delegation’s visit and the formal end of sanctions reflects, according to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, “the opening of a new page in bilateral relations based on mutual respect and constructive dialogue.”
