Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 15th　title: "Drawing a cake" or seeking a breakthrough? What are the considerations for Trump's announcement of lifting sanctions on Syria

  Xinhua News Agency reporter Kan Jingwen Ma Qian Song Ying

  US President Trump said on the 13th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, that he would order the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. Some analysts pointed out that Trump's announcement at this time will lift sanctions on Syria mainly comes from considerations such as narrowing relations with Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and seeking diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East, but it is still unknown whether the US can fulfill its commitments and how to lift sanctions.

  Speaking of "removal" sanctions

  Trump, who is visiting the Middle East, said at an event in Riyadh on the 13th that he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria. He made the decision after discussing the situation in Syria with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Erdogan.

  On May 13, 2025, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) met with US President Trump in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Xinhua News Agency (Photo provided by Saudi News Agency)

  Trump met with Syrian regime leader Ahmed Salah in Riyadh on the 14th. According to a statement from the Syrian diplomatic department, during the talks, Sala expressed gratitude to Trump for his decision to lift sanctions on Syria and thanked the Saudi and Turkish leaders for their efforts.

  Trump also said that U.S. Secretary of State Rubio will meet with Syria's diplomatic department head Hibani this week. Analysts pointed out that the US may demand that Syria make concessions to the United States economically or politically when it comes to lifting sanctions against Syria. The British Times reported that Syria's concessions may include granting the United States the right to mine minerals in Syria.

  In 1979, the US government listed Syria as a "state that supports terrorism" and imposed weapons embargoes and economic sanctions on it. After the Syrian crisis in 2011, the US government has continuously increased sanctions on Syria. In 2019, Trump signed the so-called Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act during his first term, imposing financial sanctions on Syrian government officials and individuals and businesses that provide funds to the Syrian government.

  Multiple factors considerations

  Some analysts pointed out that Trump announced that he would lift sanctions against Syria, on the one hand, to cater to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, and on the other hand, to seek diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East.

  Omar Rahman, a researcher at the Qatar think tank's Global Middle East Committee, said the three Gulf countries Trump visited - Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE - have been pushing the United States to lift sanctions against Syria. Muna Jacobian, senior adviser to the Center for Strategic and International Studies of the US think tank, believes that Trump's choice to announce the decision during his visit to Saudi Arabia can win the approval of Gulf countries, and then promote the United States to obtain large-scale investment from Gulf countries and facilitate Saudi Arabia and other countries to reach an investment agreement with US companies, which is in line with the economic interests of the United States.

  Some analysts also pointed out that the Trump administration's diplomatic achievements in the Middle East since it took office were very limited, and striving to "make achievements" in Middle East policies may be another consideration for its lifting of sanctions against Syria. Heather Hulbert, a researcher at the Royal Institute of International Studies, said the Trump administration urgently needed a "diplomacy victory."

  For Syria, lifting sanctions is a necessary step to get out of the predicament. The long-term sanctions have resulted in a shortage of supplies in Syria, and people's lives have been seriously affected. According to media reports, about 90% of Syria's population is currently in poverty, and national reconstruction may require hundreds of billions of dollars. Ibrahim Daraji, a professor at the University of Damascus in Syria, said that lifting sanctions is very important for Syria to improve the investment environment and promote economic and social development.

  This is the streets of Damascus, Syria, taken on December 10, 2024. Posted by Xinhua News Agency (photo by Amar Safar Jalani)

  According to Syrian News Agency, Syrian diplomatic department head Hibani said on the 13th that the measures related to the lifting of sanctions against Syria will help the Syrian reconstruction process.

  However, US media analysts believe that the U.S. lifting sanctions on Syria is not as simple as Trump announced, and the process may be very long. The Wall Street Journal said that some measures may require approval from the U.S. Congress before they can be fully implemented. The Associated Press analyzed the article pointed out that lifting sanctions against Syria cannot be achieved overnight, and the specific method of lifting sanctions is still unclear.

  Bypass Israel again?

  Media and analysts believe that Trump's announcement of lifting sanctions against Syria will arouse Israel's dissatisfaction and concerns.

  Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously asked the Trump administration not to lift sanctions on Syria. Muna Jacobian, senior adviser to the Center for Strategic and International Studies of the US think tank, said Netanyahu and several Israeli cabinet officials were very alert to the current regime in Syria, and Trump's lifting of sanctions on Syria would trigger Israeli concerns. An analysis article in Israel's Haaretz said that from an Israeli perspective, Trump's move not only indicates a shift in the US policy towards Syria, but may also mean that the US has changed the Middle East strategic path of "Israel first" in the past few decades.

  On April 7, 2025, US President Trump welcomed visiting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House in Washington. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hu Yousong

  Other analysts believe that a series of recent actions by the United States have also exposed some differences between the United States and Israel in current regional affairs.

  For some time, the United States has repeatedly "bypassed" Israel in regional affairs: it has held indirect negotiations with Iran in Oman, reached a ceasefire agreement with the Houthi armed forces, contacted the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). In addition, Trump did not choose Israel as his destination during his trip to the Middle East. Yoel Guzanski, a researcher at the Israeli National Security Institute, believes that the Trump administration appears to be separating its interests in the region from Israel.

  Jonathan Panikov, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank, said the Trump administration is advancing a transactional, trade-investment-focused policy agenda, and the United States will not consider the Israeli position too much when Israel, as a traditional ally, is inconsistent with its priorities on political security matters. However, some analysts also pointed out that the current differences between the United States and Israel only exist at the policy level, and the relationship between the United States and Israel will not undergo fundamental changes. (Participated reporters: Ji Ze, Wu Baoshu, Wang Zhuolun)

[Editor in charge: Wang Xue]