Trump signs sweeping executive order ending Syria sanctions

Welcome back to the Daily Briefing.  

This is Rosaleen Carroll, filling in for Gabrielle.  

In today’s edition:  

• Trump signs sweeping executive order ending Syria sanctions
• Israel’s Dermer to meet with Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff on Tuesday  
• Iran’s President Pezeshkian set to visit Azerbaijan this week  
• US greenlights over $500 million arms sale to Israel as Israeli military steps up Gaza campaign 

I’ll be highlighting these top stories below. 

Thanks for reading,  

Rosaleen (@roscarroll_) 

Trump signs executive order ending decades-old Syria sanctions 

President Donald Trump, joined by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other lawmakers, holds up an executive order after signing a series of bills related to California’s vehicle emissions standards during an event in the East Room of the White House, on June 12, 2025, in Washington. — Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that terminates the US government's framework of sanctions on Syria, which was originally designed to punish the former Assad regime but had become a barrier to the country’s post-war recovery.  

In mid-May, just a day before meeting with Syria’s new President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Trump announced that he would lift all sanctions on the country.  

Speaking in a phone briefing with reporters, US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack described the executive order as "a blanket opportunity" to help restart Syria's economy. “But one thing is clear: Neither the president nor the secretary of state are nation-building,” Barrack said. “They're saying, we are going to give you an opportunity.” 

Trump’s executive order, which takes effect Tuesday, does not revoke Syria’s designation in 1979 as a state sponsor of terrorism, which includes restrictions on US foreign assistance and a ban on defense exports to the country. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior administration official told Al-Monitor that the designation is under review. Read Elizabeth Hagedorn’s report.  

Israel weighs Gaza ceasefire, Abraham Accords expansion as Dermer visits Washington 

Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer speaks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference in Washington, on March 4, 2018. — NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images

Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer arrived in Washington on Monday to discuss a possible ceasefire agreement with Hamas and expansion of the Abraham Accords with the Trump administration, including a potential thaw in relations between Israel and Syria, Channel 12 reported. 

A source familiar with the matter told Al-Monitor that Dermer is expected to meet Tuesday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. 

Dermer’s visit comes amid growing signs of an American push to bring the Gaza war to an end. As Al-Monitor reported last week, US officials have recently explored a broader regional package deal — one that would include a Gaza ceasefire, a gesture from Netanyahu toward Palestinian statehood, and the normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia and potentially other Arab states. Read Rina Bassist’s report.  

Iran’s president set to visit Azerbaijan  

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev — Handout

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian will visit Azerbaijan on Thursday and Friday to attend the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). 

The ECO member countries will convene in Khankendi on July 3-4. ECO is a regional intergovernmental group focused on enhancing economic trade and development among its member states, including Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Iran is a founding member of the ECO. 

This will be Pezeshkian’s first public foreign visit since the end of the 12-day war with Israel last Tuesday, and his second visit to Azerbaijan in 2025. The timing is notable, given Azerbaijan’s close ties with Israel — a key arms supplier to Baku, which in turn provides oil to Israel.

US approves over $500M arms sale to Israel ahead of Netanyahu visit 

Aviation Ordnancemen assigned to "The Swordsmen" of Fighter Squadron 32 (VF-32) transfer 2,000-pound Joint Directional Attack Munition (JDAMs) before it is loaded onto a F-14B Tomcat, on March 21, 2003, in the Mediterranean Sea. — Justin S. Osborne/U.S. Navy/Getty Images

The Trump administration announced on Monday that it had notified Congress of plans to sell $510 million worth of Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits for the Israeli Air Force’s air-to-ground bombs. 

The State Department and the Pentagon signed off on the sale of more than 7,000 JDAM guidance kits designed to be affixed to the IAF’s unguided BLU-109 2,000-pound bombs and Mk-82 500-pound bombs. 

The planned sale comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump at the White House next Monday, an administration official told Al-Monitor. 

It also coincides with Israel’s intensified military campaign in northern Gaza. On Monday, an Israeli airstrike hit a beachfront cafe — reportedly outside the military’s evacuation zone — killing at least 33 people, including a journalist, and injuring another 50, according to the Wafa news agency.

An Israeli army spokesperson told The Times of Israel on Tuesday that “prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance,” adding that “the incident is under review.” Read Jared Szuba’s report.