Latest news with #SyriaSanctions
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
US revokes foreign terrorist designation for Syria's Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
US president Donald Trump' s administration has revoked the foreign terrorist organisation designation for Al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), according to a state department memo filed on Monday, a major step as Washington moves to ease sanctions on Syria . The June 23rd-dated memo was signed by US secretary of state Marco Rubio and was published in a preview of the federal register before official publication on Tuesday. The move comes a week after Mr Trump signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, to help end the country's isolation from the international financial system and building on Washington's pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war. 'In consultation with the attorney general and the secretary of the treasury, I hereby revoke the designation of Al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (and other aliases) as a foreign terrorist organization,' Mr Rubio wrote in the memo. READ MORE Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham was previously al-Qaeda's Syria branch, or Nusra Front. In December, Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa led the HTS, which, together with other Islamist rebels, conducted a lightning offensive that ousted Syria's former president Bashar al-Assad. HTS severed al-Qaeda ties years ago and says it wants to build an inclusive and democratic Syria. Syria's foreign ministry had no immediate comment. Mr Sharaa and Mr Trump met in Riyadh in May where, in a major policy shift, Mr Trump unexpectedly announced he would lift US sanctions on Syria, prompting Washington to significantly ease its measures. – Reuters (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
Asharq Al-Awsat
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Signs Order Lifting Sanctions on Syria, White House Says
President Donald Trump signed on Monday an executive order terminating a US sanctions program on Syria, allowing an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system and building on Washington's pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war. The move will allow the US to maintain sanctions on Syria's ousted former president Bashar al-Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, people linked to chemical weapons activities, the ISIS group and its affiliates and proxies for Iran, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a briefing. Assad was toppled in December in a lightning offensive by opposition factions and Syria has since taken steps to re-establish international ties. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said Trump's termination of the Syria sanctions program would "open door of long-awaited reconstruction and development," according to a post by the foreign minister on social media platform X. He said the move would "lift the obstacle" against economic recovery and open the country to the international community. Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Trump met in Riyadh in May where, in a major policy shift, Trump unexpectedly announced he would lift US sanctions on Syria, prompting Washington to significantly ease its measures. Some in Congress are pushing for the measures to be totally repealed, while Europe has announced the end of its economic sanctions regime. "Syria needs to be given a chance, and that's what's happened," US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack told reporters in a briefing call. He described Monday's move as "the culmination of a very tedious, detailed, excruciating process of how do you unwrap these sanctions." The White House in a fact sheet said the order directs the Secretary of State to review the terrorism designations of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group that Sharaa led that has roots in al-Qaeda, as well as Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. The White House said the administration would continue to monitor Syria's progress on key priorities including "taking concrete steps toward normalizing ties with Israel, addressing foreign terrorists, deporting Palestinian terrorists and banning Palestinian terrorist groups." Syrians hope the easing of sanctions will clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organizations working in the country, encouraging foreign investment and trade as it rebuilds. In the aftermath of Trump's announcement in May, the US Treasury Department issued a general license that authorized transactions involving the interim Syrian government as well as the central bank and state-owned enterprises. However, the US has imposed layers of sanctions against Syria, some of which are authorized by legislation, including the Caesar Act. Repealing the measures is necessary for Syria to attract long-term investment without parties fearing the risk of violating US sanctions. "We are now, pursuant to the executive order, going to look at suspension criteria for the Caesar Act," a senior administration official said. Most of the US sanctions on Syria were imposed on Assad's government and key individuals in 2011 after civil war erupted in the country. The dismantling of the US sanctions program on Syria includes terminating from Tuesday a national emergency declared in 2004 and revoking linked executive orders, according to the order signed on Monday. The executive order also directs additional actions, including some with respect to waivers of export controls and other restrictions, the order read.
The Independent
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Watch: Trump plans to sign executive order to end sanctions on Syria
President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order lifting Syria sanctions, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has revealed. The sanctions on Syria were put in place by an Executive Order signed on August 18, 2011. With its removal, Syrians will now be able to import from more countries, transfer money in and out of the country, and work with international companies. Leavitt told press: "The order will remove sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on the former President Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, persons linked to chemical weapons activities, ISIS and their affiliates, and Iranian proxies."
Al Arabiya
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Syria says Trump termination of sanctions opens door for reconstruction, development
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Monday that US President Donald Trump's termination of the Syria sanctions program would open 'the doors to long-awaited reconstruction and development,' according to a post by the foreign minister on social media platform X. He said the move would 'lift the obstacle' against economic recovery and open the country to the international community. Trump signed an executive order on Monday to reverse decades-old American sanctions on Syria and 'give these guys a chance,' senior administration officials said. The order dismantles the existing US sanctions architecture on Syria and terminates the national emergency first declared in 2004. It also revokes five executive orders issued by previous administrations that formed the foundation of the sanctions program against Damascus.
Bloomberg
30-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Nobody Would Blink' if Watergate Happened Today, Ed Price Says
Senior Fellow at New York University Ed Price joins Bloomberg Businessweek and discusses President Trump's hold over the American electorate, and the shifting of a new world order as the President signed an executive order 'terminating the Syria sanctions program' in an effort to 'support the country's path to stability and peace,' according to the White House and the US Senate debates the tax bill.. (Source: Bloomberg)
