President Donald Trump just unshackled Syria from decades of U.S. sanctions. On Monday, he signed an executive order lifting most restrictions that have choked the nation since the 1970s, as Axios reports. This bold move signals a new chapter for a country clawing its way out of civil war.
Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former Islamist rebel, toppled the Assad regime in December 2024, prompting Trump to meet him in Saudi Arabia in mid-May to discuss sanction relief. The executive order also eyes removing Syria’s “state sponsor of terrorism” label and could suspend the Caesar Act, which targeted Assad’s war crimes. Sanctions on Assad himself, now hiding in Moscow, and his cronies remain untouched.
“Good luck Syria. Show us something very special,” Trump declared in Saudi Arabia. That’s a tall order for a nation in ruins, but it’s a chance to rebuild without Uncle Sam’s boot on its neck. Al-Sharaa’s plea for relief to reconstruct after 14 years of war seems to have swayed the dealmaker-in-chief.
The order also considers delisting Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, once led by al-Sharaa, as a terrorist group. This is no small pivot -- HTS’s rebrand under al-Sharaa’s leadership is a gamble Trump’s willing to take. It’s a pragmatic nod to Syria’s new reality, not a woke capitulation to chaos.
Meanwhile, Israel’s watching closely, wary of a Syria unshackled but eager for a deal. After Assad’s fall, Israel obliterated Syria’s air force, navy, and missile systems in December 2024, seizing the buffer zone and Mount Hermon. These occupied territories are bargaining chips Israel won’t relinquish without a full peace deal.
Netanyahu, in early June, told Trump’s Syria envoy, Tom Barrack, he’s ready to negotiate a modernized 1974 disengagement accord with Syria’s post-Assad government. Phased agreements could lead to normalization, but Israel’s not naive. They want ironclad assurances, not empty promises from a regime still finding its feet.
“It’s a benefit for Syria to lean toward Israel,” a U.S. official said this week. Sure, but Syria’s not rushing to hug its old foe -- al-Sharaa’s playing a long game. Trump’s team sees a Syria-Israel deal as a win-win, but they’re not holding their breath.
Israel’s history with the Assad clan was pure hostility, so Netanyahu’s interest in a security agreement is a seismic shift. The Golan Heights, captured in 1967 and recognized as Israel’s by Trump, remains non-negotiable, per Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s Monday statement. Syria’s old demand for a Golan pullout? Dead on arrival.
Four Israeli channels -- national security, Mossad, foreign ministry, and military -- are quietly engaging Syrian officials below al-Sharaa’s level. No leaders’ summit is planned, and a senior U.S. official called these talks “like unwrapping an onion.” Translation: don’t expect a peace treaty by next week.
“We are peeling,” the same official told Axios, describing the delicate dance of diplomacy. That’s code for slow and steady, not the woke rush to paper over deep mistrust. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are backing this effort, but they’re not micromanaging every syllable.
Israel is pushing for a stronger U.S. role to nudge Syria toward the table. “We hope to see the Trump administration pushing more assertively,” an Israeli official told Axios. They’re right -- America’s clout could tip the scales, but Syria’s got to want it.
Tom Barrack’s been chatting with Syrian officials since June, laying groundwork for formal talks. A U.S. official shrugged to reporters, “It’s up to them, not up to us.” Classic Trump: set the stage, then let the players decide their fate.
Israel’s minister for strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, is in Washington this week to hash out the Syria deal. Netanyahu himself will hit the White House on July 7 to dig into this and other regional headaches. The stakes couldn’t be higher for a region perpetually on edge.
Israeli officials grumble that Trump lifted sanctions too soon, losing leverage to force Syria’s hand on normalization. They’ve got a point -- sanctions are a stick, not a carrot, and Syria’s got less reason to play nice now. Still, Trump’s betting that al-Sharaa’s desire to rebuild will outweigh old grudges.
This Syria reset is Trump at his dealmaking best: bold, risky, and unapologetic. Whether it leads to peace or just another Middle East mirage depends on al-Sharaa and Netanyahu finding common ground. For now, the sanctions are gone, and the ball’s in Syria’s court.
