President Trump has signed an executive order officially revoking the United States sanctions program on Syria, fulfilling what the White House calls another “promise made and promise kept” to promote peace and stability in the region.
The order terminates broad sanctions on Syria’s economy while maintaining restrictions on Bashar al-Assad, his inner circle, and individuals linked to human rights abuses, drug trafficking, and chemical weapons. According to the White House fact sheet, it also keeps in place sanctions targeting ISIS affiliates and Iranian proxies. However, in a move that has drawn little public attention, the order directs the State Department to review and potentially lift terrorist designations on Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
During her press briefing today, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the move as a decisive victory for American diplomacy. She emphasized that the president “is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors.” She added that the executive order was designed to remove barriers to economic growth while maintaining pressure on those who threaten regional security.
HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, currently controls much of northwest Syria. Its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is a figure once widely seen as a global terrorist. Under the new executive order, the administration will begin the process of delisting HTS and al-Sharaa from U.S. terrorism designations. The fact sheet describes this as part of America’s commitment to “supporting Syria’s path to stability and peace.”
Leavitt, echoing the president’s framing, portrayed the change as a long-overdue correction to the previous administration’s failures. “The last administration propped up chaos with ineffective sanctions that punished ordinary people,” she said. “President Trump is removing those barriers to peace and prosperity while keeping America safe from terrorists, human rights abusers, and Iranian proxies.”
Critics warn that delisting HTS risks legitimizing a group with a violent militant history, potentially undermining counterterrorism efforts in the region. The administration argues that HTS is no longer an al-Qaeda affiliate and has transitioned to a local governing force willing to engage in diplomacy and maintain security in its territories. The White House has not indicated any plans to consult Congress before finalizing the delisting process.
This executive order goes further than the earlier 180-day waiver of Caesar Act sanctions issued in May. It fully terminates economic sanctions, clears the way for international investment, and directs the Secretary of State to seek formal U.N. sanctions relief for Syria.