US sanctions on Syria cannot be easily lifted, expert warns
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Isaac Andikian, an expert in international crisis management, told North Press on Saturday that the visit of Syrian transitional government foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani to the United States is part of ongoing efforts to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria. However, he noted that “the main obstacles remain primarily legal and political.”
Andikian explained that former U.S. President Donald Trump had lifted some sanctions through executive orders, but the majority remain in place, particularly those enacted by the U.S. Congress, such as the Syria Accountability Act of 2003 and the Caesar Act of 2019, which can only be repealed through corresponding legislation in Congress.
Al-Shaibani arrived in Washington on Thursday. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said the Syrian foreign minister would meet with American lawmakers to discuss lifting the remaining sanctions. According to Axios, Graham and other Senate members are scheduled to meet with al-Shaibani to discuss specific sanctions imposed under U.S. law, including the Caesar Act, and potential steps to remove them permanently.
Andikian highlighted that “the main challenge for lifting the remaining sanctions lies in Minister al-Shaibani’s ability to convince U.S. legislators of the good faith of Syria’s new leadership and its alignment with regional interests, particularly regarding Israel, as well as its handling of ethnic, religious, and minority communities in accordance with international law and treaties.”
He added that the new Syrian leadership must “translate positive statements about societal diversity into practical and concrete steps to convince the American public and members of Congress of its commitment to change.”
Andikian also noted that lifting sanctions may come with political and economic costs, including normalization with Israel, possible territorial concessions as indicated by maps released by the U.S. Institute for the Study of War, sharing natural resources with Western companies, and efforts to replace exclusionary governance with a more inclusive and diverse political partnership.