Lifting the sanctions imposed by the United States on Bashar al-Assad's regime seemed to be the most important issue on Syrian minds in the last five months, following the regime's easy fall in December 2024. These sanctions were supposed to be lifted after the fall of those who caused them. However, this did not happen, despite demands from Syrians at both the official and popular levels, and the efforts of many Arab and foreign countries, which argued that the continuation of the sanctions was hindering Syrians from even regaining a minimum standard of living and was delaying the normalization of Syria's relations in its regional and international context.
Syrians' preoccupation with the lifting of sanctions is linked to political, economic, social, and even security-related ramifications. Under the ongoing sanctions, Syrians felt as if the Assad regime was still in power, as they were imposed against him, his policies, and his individuals, in response to his crimes. Furthermore, most of the practical repercussions on Syrians' lives and relationships persist, and the situation has worsened even further than before. This has led, in part, to a deterioration in the security situation in various Syrian regions, resulting in living difficulties and a loss of hope for any imminent change, particularly regarding the reconstruction of Syria, which represents the beginning of the process of eliminating the effects of the long Assad era.
Instead of lifting the sanctions, the Syrians' demands were met with conditions, some of which would require time and effort, given the facts that the country is completely destroyed, and that the Syrian people and government are living in difficult circumstances, experiencing dangerous disagreements and divisions, even if most of them are temporary and non-essential. It seems that the reality of the Syrian situation has prompted those around them to take action and take initiatives to avoid the situation becoming deadlocked and returning to stagnation in the midst of catastrophe.
In fact, the policy of the Arab incubator, especially the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, whose initiatives over the past two years have constituted practical steps to lead Syria towards salvation, is putting an end to the suffering of the Syrians and pushing them towards the path of normalizing their lives and relations. US President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh and his talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were an opportunity to make a breakthrough in the issue of sanctions on Syria, as President Trump announced the lifting of sanctions in light of his talks with Prince Mohammed bin Salman, putting an end to a Syrian problem that is equal to the problem of the presence of the Bashar al-Assad regime in the lives of Syrians.
While lifting sanctions represents a gateway for Syria to escape its problems and the suffering of its people, this only represents half of the truth, which is complemented by another half, represented by the efforts of the Syrians, both the government and the people, to extricate their country from its problems and the suffering of its people. The government is required to be a responsible, inclusive, expert, and open government that represents the broadest Syrian spectrum and adopts a national renaissance program at the political, economic, and social levels, capable of being measured, evaluated, and corrected in its various specializations and levels.
Syrians are required to stop their conflicts and disagreements over most controversial issues, and to turn to working to extract themselves, their families, and their citizens from the Assad context with its problems and suffering. They should stand united with their government in its rescue program that paves the way for a greater salvation represented by a necessary and upcoming plan, which is the Syria Reconstruction Plan. This plan does not mean rebuilding buildings, institutions, and political and economic activities as much as it means rebuilding the lives of Syrians in the fullest sense of the word. This goes beyond knowledge and experience, to eliminate the effects of war by addressing the issues of the missing and disappeared people, returning the displaced and refugees, compensating those affected, and rebuilding civil peace.
Without the Syrian government and people playing their part in lifting the sanctions, the latter will be of little consequence, and no significant achievement in Syria will be achieved that matches the aspirations of the Syrian people and their hopes for the future.
President Trump accurately described his actions, be saying "I have decided to lift the sanctions to give the Syrian people a new opportunity to build their future." And the Syrians, through their initial reactions to his move, confirmed that they will move forward to their salvation from the disaster and that they are continuing on the path to building their country and their future.