U.S. President Donald Trump shaking hands with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on May 14, 2025, in Riyadh. (Credit: AFP)
America's stringent sanctions were seen as the last major obstacle to Syria's economic recovery. On Tuesday, ahead of a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the sanctions would cease."These sanctions were brutal and crippling... We are lifting them all," Trump said during a speech at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh. His words prompted the crowd of political and financial officials to erupt in cheers. The stunning announcement marks a turning point in Washington's Middle East policy and goes against Israel's demands that Syria remain restricted.The lifting of sanctions came as a long-awaited breath of fresh air for Syrians choked for decades by a deep economic crisis. According to the World Bank, the Syrian economy contracted by about 85 percent between 2011 and...
America's stringent sanctions were seen as the last major obstacle to Syria's economic recovery. On Tuesday, ahead of a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the sanctions would cease."These sanctions were brutal and crippling... We are lifting them all," Trump said during a speech at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh. His words prompted the crowd of political and financial officials to erupt in cheers. The stunning announcement marks a turning point in Washington's Middle East policy and goes against Israel's demands that Syria remain restricted.The lifting of sanctions came as a long-awaited breath of fresh air for Syrians choked for decades by a deep economic crisis. According to the World Bank, the Syrian economy contracted by about 85 percent between 2011 and...
