US set to unveil sweeping Syria sanctions relief
The Trump administration is preparing to issue a general license for Syria and a Caesar Act waiver.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to issue broad sanctions relief for Syria in the coming days.
The administration plans to announce a general license, known as GL 25, that will cover the Syrian central bank, reconstruction and other economic activity, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Also expected is a waiver of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act for either an indefinite or time-bound period.
The White House on Friday was finalizing the implementation, which might also include an executive order covering past sanctions acts. An announcement on the sanctions relief is likely by Tuesday, if not as soon as Friday evening.
The expected waiver follows President Donald Trump's May 13 announcement that he would be lifting sanctions on Syria "to give them a chance at greatness." The next day, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led a coalition of rebel groups in December to topple the country's longtime dictator, Bashar al-Assad.
Following Trump's announcement, officials debated whether to implement maximum relief or to pursue a more conditional, phased approach to easing sanctions. Hawks in the administration put together a three-phase roadmap for Syria sanctions relief last week that the US official described as a "poison pill" for including conditions like full integration of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the military and the expulsion of Palestinian militant groups from Syria.
US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who was recently named special envoy for Syria, is said to favor robust engagement and greater sanctions relief. He is expected to travel to Damascus this weekend to meet with Sharaa.
In remarks to a Senate committee on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Syria's new government risked collapse within weeks, potentially triggering a civil war of “epic proportions" without US sanctions relief.
