Congress imposed some of the strictest measures and would have to permanently remove them.
Since President Donald Trump announced his intent to end a half-century of U.S. sanctions on Syria, a tug-of-war has developed in his administration over how quickly and thoroughly that should happen.
At risk could be the future of a transitional government run by those who drove Syrian leader Bashar Assad from power late last year and hopes that it can stabilize the country after a devastating 13-year civil war that has left millions dead or displaced, the economy in ruins and thousands of foreign fighters still on Syrian soil.
U.S. presidents have piled up penalties over the years on the autocratic family that previously controlled Syria, and those could be quickly lifted or waived through executive action. But Congress imposed some of the strictest measures and would have to permanently remove them.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former militant commander who led the overthrow, says he is working to build an inclusive government friendly to the West. Some Trump administration officials are pushing to lift or waive sanctions as fast as possible without demanding tough conditions first.
Others in the administration have proposed a phased approach, giving short-term waivers soon on some sanctions and then tying extensions or a wider executive order to Syria meeting conditions, which could substantially slow — or even permanently prevent — longer-term relief. That would impede the interim government’s ability to attract investment and rebuild Syria after the war, critics say.
“The Syria sanctions are a complex web of statutes, executive actions and United Nations Security Council resolutions that have to be unwound thoughtfully and cautiously,” White House National Security Council spokesman Max Bluestein said.
The administration is “analyzing the optimal way to do so,” Bluestein said in a statement Thursday.
An announcement on a first round of measures to ease sanctions could come as soon as Friday or on Tuesday, after the Memorial Day weekend, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
A State Department proposal circulated among officials following Trump’s pledge on his Middle East trip last week lays out sweeping requirements for future phases of relief or permanent lifting of sanctions, including dismantling Palestinian militant groups as a top demand, according to one of the U.S. officials familiar with the plan.
Additional proposals are circulating, including one shared this week that broadly emphasized taking all the action possible, as fast as possible, to help Syria rebuild, the official said.
