Reuters has reported, citing U.S. officials, that President Donald Trump’s announcement to lift all sanctions on Syria took some members of his administration by surprise.
اضافة اعلان
According to four informed U.S. government sources quoted by the agency, senior officials at the State and Treasury Departments rushed to assess how the sanctions could be lifted.
Reuters also cited a U.S. official saying that the White House had not issued any memo or directive to sanctions officials at either the State or Treasury Departments in preparation for the move.
The sources indicated that officials in both departments are still trying to understand how to undo sanctions, some of which have been in place for decades.
President Trump made the announcement this past Tuesday during a speech at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh, saying that he had decided to lift sanctions on Syria “to give it a chance.”
He also stated that his administration had taken the first step toward normalizing relations with Syria.
On Wednesday, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Riyadh, marking the first meeting between an American and Syrian president in 25 years.
The decision to lift sanctions was met with both official and popular approval in Syria. President Al-Sharaa described the move as “historic” and said it paves the way for easing the suffering of the Syrian people.
