Trump Admin Policy on Syria: Where Do Things Stand?

With congressmen in Damascus & Syrian Ministers set to visit Washington, sanctions relief remains tied to conditions.

In recent months, governments across Europe, the Middle East and further afield have engaged increasingly openly and deeply with Syria’s transitional government. Since Bashar al-Assad’s fall from power a little over four months ago, at least 62 governments have met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and/or Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani and to all extents and purposes, Damascus has been the most busy capital city worldwide for foreign dignitary visits. Beyond governments, Syria’s new authorities have hosted visits by major international bodies including the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Economic Forum (WEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), and much more.

Amidst this ‘rush to Damascus,’ the U.S. government has remained far more cautious, particularly since President Trump took office in January 2025. While the outgoing Biden administration was swift to engage — dispatching a senior State Department-led delegation to Damascus on December 20, 2024 — there has been no such Trump administration visit. However, an ‘unofficial’ visit to Damascus on April 18 by Republican congressmen Cory Mills and Marlin Stutzman could play a role in beginning to turn the tide. As will an upcoming visit to Washington DC and New York by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani, Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh and Central Bank Governor Abdelqader Hasriya from April 22-28. According to one U.S. government source, a visa for Shaybani was issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio only once Representatives Mills and Stutzman had completed a successful day in Syria.