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Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's interim President Alamy Stock Photo

Syria welcomes lifting of US sanctions as 'positive step'

The United States lifted comprehensive economic sanctions on Syria yesterday.

SYRIA HAS WELCOMED the formal lifting of sanctions by the United States as a “positive step” that will help its post-war recovery.

“The Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the decision from the American government to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria and its people for long years,” a foreign ministry statement said.

The United States lifted comprehensive economic sanctions on Syria yesterday, marking a dramatic policy shift following the December overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and opening the door for investment in the country’s reconstruction.

The ministry described the move as “a positive step in the right direction to reduce humanitarian and economic struggles in the country”.

It formalised a decision announced by US President Donald Trump during a visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

The sanctions relief extends to Syria’s new government with conditions that the country not provide safe haven for terrorist organisations and ensure security for religious and ethnic minorities, the US Treasury Department said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the waiver would “facilitate the provision of electricity, energy, water and sanitation, and enable a more effective humanitarian response across Syria”.

The authorisation covers new investment in Syria, provision of financial services and transactions involving Syrian petroleum products.

“Today’s actions represent the first step on delivering on the president’s vision of a new relationship between Syria and the United States,” Rubio said.

The United States had imposed sweeping restrictions on financial transactions with Syria during the country’s 14-year civil war and made clear it would use sanctions to punish anyone involved in reconstruction as long as Assad remained in power.

Since Assad’s ouster, Syria’s new government, led by Islamist former rebels, some of them with past links to Al-Qaeda, has been looking to build relations with Western governments and roll back sanctions.

- © AFP 2025

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    Mute Kevin O Brien
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    May 24th 2025, 8:37 AM

    Is that the ethnic cleansing ISIS bad guy who the US had a 10million reward for hus head who is now a good guy when he works for israel

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    Mute Fran Ken
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    May 24th 2025, 9:13 AM

    @Kevin O Brien: Yes he was a bad guy. But he seems to have achieved some level of peace in Syria, although there are still some issues. So he’s worth supporting for that reason. As for his relationship with Israel, he’s a pragmatist. He has enough problems to solve within his own country without tangling with enemies beyond the border..

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    Mute Eugene Burns
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    May 24th 2025, 9:43 AM

    @Kevin O Brien: Assad or him. Both tyrants. Assad was never going to change. Time will tell with this guy what’s best for the people. Unfortunately in international politics with Russia, USA, etc. gumming for regional power, the people will be the last thing to be considered.

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    Mute James MC
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    May 24th 2025, 9:49 AM

    @Kevin O Brien: there’s so many different factions in Syria. And far too many stakeholders.. At least there were. It’s impossible to say who did what and who was who.

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    Mute James MC
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    May 24th 2025, 9:52 AM

    @Eugene Burns: definitely an improvement from assad.

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    Mute Kevin O Brien
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    May 24th 2025, 10:10 AM

    @Fran Ken: after 600 thousand deaths he is now Mr nice guy hard to buy that one especially when he now works for Israel /USA axis of evil

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    Mute Kevin O Brien
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    May 24th 2025, 10:11 AM

    @James MC: says who Israel Usa

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    Mute honey badger
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    May 24th 2025, 11:42 AM
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    Mute Fran Ken
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    May 24th 2025, 12:14 PM

    @Kevin O Brien: He wasn’t the one responsible for the 600k deaths. That would be Assad. Of course he played a part, but it seems he’s not antisemite enough to be given credit for whatever he’s managed to achieve so far.

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    Mute joe moody
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    May 24th 2025, 12:21 PM

    @Fran Ken: HTS terrorists are continually rounding civilians up executing them, women and children being slaughtered on mass! Just because western media outlets aren’t showing you doesn’t mean it’s not happening widen your pallet of information..

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    Mute joe moody
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    May 24th 2025, 12:29 PM

    @honey badger: Syria was attacked by western backed headchopping fanatics, again you side with the most despicable psychotic Wahhabi extremists and pretend to be morally superior, it’s beyond ignorant at this stage..

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    Mute honey badger
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    May 24th 2025, 12:39 PM

    @joe moody: I listened to Syrians, Joe. You should try it.

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    Mute James MC
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    May 24th 2025, 1:11 PM

    @Kevin O Brien: im no fan of Israel. Trust me. But im deferring judgement on Syria and Jolani for now. Majority of Syrians are happy for now. You can go too anti israel that you start consuming wild iranian propaganda too.

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    Mute Coldfilter Coldfilter
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    May 24th 2025, 9:30 PM

    @Fran Ken: Nonsense,I’m afraid!

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    Mute Sam Flynn
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    May 25th 2025, 1:23 AM

    @Kevin O Brien: the virtue signalling is strong with this one

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    Mute joe moody
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    May 24th 2025, 8:45 AM

    Western backed CIA headchopping Wahhabi lunatic installed and this is the sort of article you come up with?? Whats happened to journalism?

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    Mute Eugene Burns
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    May 24th 2025, 9:57 AM

    @joe moody: Yeah, and the Russian backed lunatic assad was good for the people of Syria..

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    Mute joe moody
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    May 24th 2025, 12:25 PM

    @Eugene Burns: Syria was a much better place before western backed headchoppers where funded to destabilise and topple the country!
    Do think there should be a violent barbaric coup in America because you don’t like the president??

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    Mute Eugene Burns
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    May 24th 2025, 1:23 PM

    @joe moody: I’m sure the many many thousands of victims of putin and assad will agree with you on Syria being a better place.
    Ridiculous question. I don’t like Trump, but he is not using barrel bombs and chemical weapons on his own civilian population.

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    Mute joe moody
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    May 24th 2025, 3:37 PM

    @Eugene Burns: typical pathetic nonsense, Assad fought off a western backed coup using jihadi lunatics as a proxy, that was the cause of the conflict saving Syria(for a decade )from becoming the sort of basket case Libya is now after NATO slaughter of Gaddafi where you have warlords running open slave markets, just utter chaos and death!
    Go educate yourself about the OPCW cover up exposing the by Aaron Mate, Douma was a laughable false flag..
    You people fall for this regime change madness every time, incredibly naive.

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    Mute Dave Grant
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    May 24th 2025, 1:27 PM

    X Deputy head of ISIS.

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    Mute CP
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    May 24th 2025, 8:26 AM

    Usual bogeys latching onto a Trump article, it’s where I find and mute the bots /trolls. Hides all their rubbish talk it’s great

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    Mute Daniel Skelton
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    May 24th 2025, 8:53 AM

    @CP: Can’t mute them, they’ll be back on with other accounts. Just ignore the incel parasites, and do not engage with them, as they thrive off it.

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    Mute CP
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    May 24th 2025, 9:05 AM

    @Daniel Skelton: I know, but it does work, I can see one usual bogey on here tried to reply to me but he’s on mute list, so it does work and blocks out the clowns like Rian

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    Mute Jerry LeFrog
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    May 24th 2025, 10:03 AM

    @CP: good move, doing the same and it works wonders.

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    Mute Ichabod Crane
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    May 24th 2025, 11:17 AM

    Can’t see him making a visit to DC. Not after the ass kicking the south african president took off Trump about the killing of white people.

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    Mute Padraig O'Brien
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    May 25th 2025, 12:33 AM

    @Coldfilter Coldfilter. So you think it’s a foolish move for the big warmongers to butt out and allow space for the people of a country to try to sort out their own problems?

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    Mute Coldfilter Coldfilter
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    May 24th 2025, 9:27 PM

    Foolish move!

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