President Al-Sharia calls for lifting the remaining sanctions , and Trump stresses the importance of Syria's stability

President Ahmed al-Shara, during a phone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump, stressed that the lifting of "the remaining" of the sanctions imposed on Syria is an "essential step" to revitalize the national economy and improve the living conditions of Syrians.

According to a statement by the Syrian presidency, President Al-Sharia stressed  on Sunday evening the importance of continued international support for reconstruction and recovery efforts during the next phase.

For his part, the US president expressed his interest in following up on the situation in Syria and the region, stressing his country's support for the path of stability and reconstruction in Syria.

The statement said that the two sides discussed  bilateral relations and the latest developments in the political and security situation in the region, in addition to ways to enhance cooperation in order to support Syria's stability and advance the path of economic recovery.

The call also addressed security developments in the region, where President Al-Sharaa stressed the importance of prioritizing the diplomatic track and dialogue to avoid further escalation and enhance regional security.

At the end of the call, the two sides stressed the importance of continuing communication, coordination and follow-up on files of common interest, in order to serve the interests of the two countries and contribute to supporting security and stability in the region.

Trump Appoints Tom Barrack as Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq

Earlier on Sunday, the US president announced the appointment of US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barak as special presidential envoy for both Syria and Iraq, while retaining his position as US ambassador to Ankara.

The appointment comes within the framework of strengthening strategic cooperation with the governments of Syria and Iraq, he said, noting that Washington's relations with the two countries "continue to grow."

A Radical Shift in Syrian-American Relations

Syrian-American relations have entered a whole new phase following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, as Washington and Damascus began an unprecedented normalization process based on security and economic cooperation and the lifting of sanctions, after decades of estrangement and tension.

The period between 2025 and 2026 witnessed a series of political and diplomatic steps that reshaped the relationship between the two countries. On May 14 , 2025, the first direct meeting between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump was held in Riyadh, in an official US recognition of the new Syrian leadership and the beginning of the normalization process.

This path was strengthened with the White House summit on November 10  , 2025, where Trump received President Al-Sharia in a historic visit that is the first by a Syrian president in decades, and during the summit, Trump announced his support for Al-Sharia, while Syria officially joined as the 90th member of the international coalition to defeat the "Islamic State" organization.

Dismantling the sanctions system

On May 23,  2025, Washington began the first steps of lifting sanctions following the Riyadh meeting, before the Trump administration made a historic decision on June 30  , 2025, to end comprehensive economic sanctions on Syria, and the decision came into effect on July 1  , 2025, ending the effects of six executive orders issued since 2004.

On July 8  , 2025, the US State Department officially removed the designation of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization, and then came the November 6,  2025 Security Council resolution to lift UN sanctions on President al-Sharia and his Minister of Interior, in preparation for his visit to New York and Washington.

Coinciding with the White House summit, Washington announced on November 10  , 2025, an additional suspension of a number of remaining financial restrictions, before ending the  Caesar Act permanently in December 2025, opening the door to major international investments.