Headline Roundup • July 1st, 2025
Trump Admin to Lift Sanctions on Syria, Review Terror Designation
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday lifting US sanctions on Syria.
The Details: The Trump administration said it is lifting the sanctions unconditionally and aims to integrate Syria into global financial markets, work together on counterterrorism efforts, and establish ties with Israel. Sanctions will remain on former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, “his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, persons linked to chemical weapons activities, ISIS and their affiliates, and Iranian proxies.”
For Context: Assad and his government were overthrown in December and replaced by US-designated terrorist interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Assad has since been granted asylum in Russia. The White House also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will review the terror designations of Syria and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham – the group Sharaa leads. Last week, an ISIS cell claimed responsibility for killing 25 Christians in a church bombing in Damascus.
How The Media Covered It: Fox News (Right bias) wrote, of Sharaa, “From having a $10 million bounty on his head to sitting down with the U.S. president, the turnaround of the Syrian leader has been remarkable.” The Hill (Center) did not label Sharaa as Syria’s interim president but instead a leader who is a “U.S.-designated terrorist.” Middle East Eye (Left) went in depth on the sanctions against Syria and described its strategic importance for the US.
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Featured Coverage of this Story
Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Reuters
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to end the US sanctions programme on Syria. He had initially made the surprise announcement during a speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May, and also met with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa while there.
"This is in an effort to promote and support the country’s path to stability and peace," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters ahead of the signing.
"The order will remove sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on the former President Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers,...
President Trump on Monday signed an executive order dismantling a series of sanctions on Syria, providing more relief to the new authorities in Damascus who overthrew Syrian dictator Bashar Assad late last year.
The administration said its lifting the sanctions without conditions, but hopes the move to end Syria’s isolation in global financial markets will encourage the government headed by the U.S.-designated terrorist Ahmed al-Sharaa to fulfill a number of criteria related to countering terrorism, integrating the Syrian Kurdish forces, respect for minorities, and establishing ties with Israel.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to formally lift all sanctions on Syria on Monday afternoon.
"The United States is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors," the order stated, while directing the secretaries of State, Commerce and Treasury to relieve sanctions and waive export controls.
"This is in an effort to promote and support the country's path to stability and peace. The order will remove sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on the former president Assad or his associates, human...
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