Washington, 1 July 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The US government is lifting sanctions on Syria after President Donald Trump signed a corresponding decree on Monday, the White House announced.

Trump had already announced this step about a month and a half ago during his trip to the Middle East.

"This is in an effort to promote and support the country's path to stability and peace," said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt before the signing.

Sanctions imposed on Syria's former president Bashar al-Assad and his associates remain in place, according to the White House. The same applies to sanctions on human-rights violators, drug traffickers and individuals associated with activities involving chemical weapons.

Steps would also be taken to ease export controls and other restrictions on Syria, according to Trump's decree.

It instructs the US State Department to review the designation of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Organization for the Liberation of the Levant, HTS) as a foreign terrorist organization. The Syrian transitional government has largely emerged from this group.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also to review Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, as well as that of transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa as a terrorist.

Additionally, Rubio is to explore possibilities at the United Nations to lift sanctions. The decree also instructs him to examine whether certain sanctions, which are related to a law that punished the former Syrian government under al-Assad for atrocities, should be wholly or partially suspended, according to the White House.

Since the overthrow of al-Assad in December, the new Syrian leadership has been striving for rapprochement with the international community. It demands the lifting of all sanctions. During the years of brutal civil war under al-Assad, many countries imposed sanctions on Syria.

MIA file photo