US-Syria Relations – How the Lifting of Sanctions can Lead to Opportunities for Rapprochement

Introduction:

Trump’s announcement that the US planned to lift sanctions on Syria came as a shock to the international community. These sanctions were designed to place economic pressure on the former Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to end the Syrian Civil War and to step down as the country’s leader. With the arrival of the current Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who came to power following the removal of Al-Assad through the massive offensive carried out by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), the opportunity arose for the possibility of a new US-Syria rapprochement. By removing the sanctions, the US has the opportunity to build a relationship with the transitional government and develop diplomatic and economic ties. The purpose of this analysis is to explore the opportunities presented by the lifting of sanctions for a US-Syrian rapprochement. This analysis aims to explore the following areas where the US and Syria can develop its relationship:

• Economic Development following the Removal of Sanctions
• Development of Diplomatic Ties
• The US Conditions for Normalisation

Economic Development following the Removal of Sanctions:

The removal of sanctions on Syria by the Trump administration has the potential to create an environment for investment and reconstruction, which can be vital for the development of economic relations between the US and Syria. This is implied when Trump announced ““[I am] ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them a fresh start,” Trump told the GCC. “It gives them a chance for greatness. The sanctions were really crippling, very powerful”” (Trump, 2025 cited in Christou, 2025). In terms of a fresh start, the removal of sanctions can allow the Syrian government to start the process of economic development. According to Dr. Neil Quilliam of Chatham House, the removal of sanctions “…will allow the unfreezing of Syria’s international assets, enable foreign businesses to re-enter key sectors such as construction, energy, and trade, and restore Damascus’s access to global financial systems and credit” (Quilliam, 2025). By removing sanctions on Syria, Trump lays the foundation for breaking Syria out of its imposed isolation, which lays the foundation for Syria to look for economic partners in the region and abroad, while also providing the Syrian government access to assets and financial institutions, which can be beneficial to Syria’s economic recovery.

Furthermore, the Syrian reaction to Trump’s removal of sanctions was one of optimism for a more economically secure Syria. The argument can be made that the removal of sanctions on Syria can allow Syria to develop stronger economic bonds with regional powers and create a fruitful environment for investment. According to Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh,  Gulf States such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait have been vying for investment opportunities across numerous sectors while proclaiming that “Syria today is a land of opportunities, with immense potential across every sector—from agriculture to oil, tourism, infrastructure, and transportation” (Azhari and Strohecker, 2025). Beyond foreign investment, the removal of sanctions can also allow for humanitarian aid to be given to Syria, as the Syrian Civil War and Western sanctions have left numerous portions of the Syrian population vulnerable and unable to meet their basic needs. This is clear as “Human Rights Watch previously found that broad sanctions imposed by the US and other nations hindered aid delivery in Syria, despite humanitarian exemptions” (Human Rights Watch, 2025). By lifting the sanctions on Syria, the US will pave the way for Syria’s reconstruction and for aid agencies to enter the country and provide much needed assistance to the Syrian population.

Overall, it can be argued the removal of sanctions on Syria by Trump can pave the way to stronger US-Syria relations in the future through economic development. This is clear as the removal of sanctions has given Syria the foundation to develop its investment climate while also allowing foreign countries such as the Gulf States as well as aid agencies to get involved in reconstruction efforts and the administration of aid to Syria’s population. Should there be positive economic developments stemming from the removal of sanctions, it could provide a foundation for US-Syria normalisation, which can allow the US and Syria to engage in economic deal-making that can lead to greater economic development in Syria.

Development of Diplomatic Ties:

While the economic development stemming from the removal of sanctions can be considered a sign of US-Syria rapprochement, it can also be argued that the removal of sanctions can lead to strengthening of diplomatic ties between the US and Syria. The removal of economic sanctions can potentially allow the US to have a foothold in Syria, which can lead to the US building bridges between Syria and other regional allies. This is clear as the US removal of sanctions has been welcomed by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, while also being praised by Turkey, who are also seeking to develop ties with Damascus (Calabrese, 2025). By developing closer ties to Syria, the US resets the “…international narrative surrounding the new Syrian leadership and suggests a willingness to overlook past grievances for potential future cooperation” (Global Arab Network, 2025). Therefore, it can be argued that Trump’s removal of sanctions on Syria can be attributed to the desire of the Trump administration to develop closer diplomatic ties with MENA powers such as Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and Turkey, which would also in turn allow Syria to reintegrated into the international system and develop their own diplomatic channels with these countries.

Moreover, these diplomatic developments resulting from the removal of sanctions can also help the US stave off great power competition. This is clear as Trump’s decision to remove sanctions on Syria would essentially guarantee US access to reconstruction and investment deals, which would otherwise go to Russia and China if the US are not successful in adequately removing the sanctions on Syria (Cafiero, 2025). It must be noted that up until the fall of the Al-Assad regime, Russia has used Syria to develop a foothold in the MENA and Mediterranean regions, while China’s influence has been slowly rising in areas throughout the MENA region. Through the removal of sanctions, Trump can position himself as a power broker in the MENA region by developing strong diplomatic ties with Syria, which can result in Syria drifting away from Russian and Chinese spheres of influence. This would result in Russia being shut out of the MENA region and pose a potential roadblock for Chinese MENA policy in the future.

The US Conditions for Normalisation:

Although the removal of sanctions on Syria by Trump can set the tone for potential rapprochement between the US and Syria, it does come with a set of conditions. The conditions that have been set by Trump to Al-Sharaa’s government to achieve the full removal of sanctions include:

• Sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel
• Tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria
• Deport Palestinian terrorists
• Help the United States prevent the resurgence of ISIS
• Assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in northeast Syria

(Leavitt, 2025 cited in Holleis, 2025).

It is no surprise that Trump’s decision to remove sanctions on Syria is transactional and requires the Syrian government under Al-Sharaa to potentially capitulate in order to meet the Trump administration’s conditions. This is clear as the US demands the Syrian government to allow for “…continued US “counter-terrorism” activities inside its sovereign territory and expelling Palestinian armed groups from Syria. al-Sharaa may have appeared to accept all these conditions in the meeting. More likely, many of the conditions remain to be negotiated by the parties” (Kettaneh and Lankes, 2025). The conditions placed on Syria  leave Al-Sharaa in a difficult negotiating position, as Al-Sharaa is under pressure by elements within Syrian society to look after Syria’s interests and stability. In regards to the major point of normalising relations with Israel, Nanar Hawach of the International Crisis Group states “Any closer ties with Israel would also cause internal pressure on al-Sharaa, Hawach added. Historically, Syria and Israel are foes, and there have been multiple conflicts between them since Israel’s foundation” (Hawach, 2025 cited in Holleis, 2025). Therefore, it can be argued that in order to reap the full benefits of sanctions relief and potentially normalise relations with the US, the Syrian government would have to make concessions such as normalising its relations with Israel and distance itself from its militant past.

Conclusion:

Despite the conditional nature of Trump’s decision to remove sanctions on Syria, ultimately, this move does have the potential to see the US and Syria normalise their relations. The removal of sanctions will allow for Syria to develop its economy and its investment climate, which can allow the US and its allies in the Gulf to engage Syria in economic deal-making, which can be lucrative and beneficial for the US and Syria’s economic relations in the future. Moreover, the removal of sanctions does have the potential to see Syria act as a strong diplomatic partner for the US in the region, as positive relations between the countries can see the US strengthen its preexisting diplomatic ties with the Gulf States, while also potentially allowing the US to develop closer ties with Turkey. Through these diplomatic overtures, the US can restore its status as a power broker in the region, while potentially freezing out great power rivals in Russia and China. Overall, it can be argued that the removal of sanctions can allow for the US and Syria to develop strong economic and diplomatic ties, which can shift the balance of power in the region. 

Sherif Amin is a non-resident research fellow at the America Program of the Sixteenth Council