President Trump’s Middle East Visit Must Include Syria Sanctions Relief - Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

We, the undersigned organizations, call on the Trump Administration to use U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East to take meaningful steps to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and support regional efforts to stabilize and rebuild Syria. This visit—his first to the region since returning to office—presents a critical opportunity for the U.S. to lift or suspend sanctions, which continue to punish the Syrian people and hinder reconstruction, humanitarian aid, and prospects of economic recovery. The time has come for decisive action to empower Syrians to rebuild their lives.

Syria today is at a critical juncture. Syrians have endured fourteen years of brutal war and five decades of dictatorship. The fall of the Assad regime marked a major turning point. Many hoped it would create a long-awaited chance for refugees to return home, rebuild shattered communities, and reclaim their futures. U.S. sanctions played an important role in isolating the Assad regime and condemning its atrocities. However, these same sanctions are now unintentionally blocking recovery across Syria.

Across the region, U.S. allies are stepping up to address Syria’s humanitarian crisis and support early reconstruction. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have signaled a growing interest in opening a pathway to recovery—one that cannot fully function while U.S. sanctions remain in place. Regional partners, UN and aid agencies, civil society, and the private sector increasingly echo what many Syrians have long argued: rebuilding is impossible without the removal of outdated sanctions that hinder progress toward economic revitalization and reliable public services.

Although the Assad regime is no longer in power, U.S. sanctions—originally designated to isolate it—are now hindering efforts to deliver aid, rebuild destroyed infrastructure, and revive basic economic activity across the country. Hospitals lack vital equipment. Power grids are broken. Water systems remain in disrepair. Aid agencies and Syrian entrepreneurs face overwhelming barriers in moving funds, importing supplies, or investing in recovery. The result is a persistent humanitarian crisis, a severe liquidity shortage, and stalled progress battered by years of war.

Continued failure to reverse deteriorating conditions and stabilize the economy risks undermining public confidence in transitional state institutions and fueling social tensions that could destabilize the transition itself. A successful transition, by contrast, could reverse these conditions, stabilize the country, and enable the emergence of an effective, unified, and accountable state—one that allows Syrians to return and rebuild, ensures the rights and protection of all Syrians, and reduces threats from nonstate actors. This would reduce the risk of power vacuums that threaten both Syrians and their neighbors. However, if recovery is undermined by the inability to attract investment, pay public salaries, and restore critical infrastructure, public confidence in the new interim government may collapse—risking exposing Syrians to yet another cycle of violence.

President Trump now has a rare chance to position the United States as a leader in shaping Syria’s future. Tens of millions could benefit from a shift in policy. Regional partners are calling for support and cooperation. But they cannot move forward without the United States. The current sanctions regime remains a key barrier to progress. Now is the time to recalibrate U.S. policy in a way that would make America safer, more secure, and more prosperous. Further, the U.S. risks falling behind the international community’s actions if it does not take immediate action to ease Syria’s sanctions. The EU , UK, Canada, and Switzerland have all already taken steps to do so.

An end to sanctions, and legal clarity around engaging Syria’s financial sector and state institutions will allow the Syrian private sector, civil society, and NGOs to gain access to resources independently, positioning them to more effectively push for more inclusive reforms and build a more representative government for all Syrians. Lifting sanctions would also position U.S. businesses to play a key role in reconstruction, offering ample investment and trade opportunities which could strengthen the long-term relationship between the United States and the Syrian people.

We echo and support the recent bipartisan letters from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, which urge the administration to expand and extend sanctions relief tools—including waivers and general licenses—to enable recovery efforts in Syria. These recommendations reflect a growing understanding in Congress that maintaining rigid sanctions risks prolonging civilian suffering and undermining stability, both for Syria and its neighbors. Despite the significant progress other countries have made in easing Syria’s sanctions, easing U.S. sanctions are the only sure way to secure the country’s future. President Trump has the opportunity to reinforce that message and act on it during this visit.

We therefore call on President Trump to:

Announce a lifting or pause of U.S. sanctions that currently discourage investment and obstruct financial transactions, access to humanitarian aid, early recovery, and essential services—including healthcare, housing, water, electricity, infrastructure, and agriculture.
Publicly support and work with regional efforts to open a coordinated window for Syria’s recovery—especially those led by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye and other U.S. partners committed to stabilizing the country through principled and monitored reconstruction initiatives.
Instruct the Department of the Treasury to renew and expand general licenses for economic recovery and commercial activity in Syria, and provide clear compliance guidance for financial institutions, humanitarian actors, and responsible investors seeking to support Syria’s post-conflict recovery. These steps should bolster confidence among financial institutions, aid organizations, and international partners. Updated guidance should also clarify that “Syria’s governing institutions are distinct from designated entities.”
Initiate a broader policy review of the current sanctions framework assessing how other designations and restrictions intersect with or impede sanctions relief to ensure that U.S. measures align with strategic objectives and humanitarian imperatives in a post-Assad context.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help guide Syria—and the wider region—toward a more stable and hopeful future. Success will bring stability to Syria and its neighbors while strengthening US national security.

We urge President Trump to act boldly and urgently, in close coordination with regional allies, to realign U.S. policy in support of Syria’s recovery. The United States should demonstrate leadership by removing obstacles to recovery and standing with the Syrian people in their pursuit of peace and a viable future.

Signatories: