Syria's al-Sharaa presses Trump in phone call to lift remaining sanctions and aid reconstruction

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, May 31, 2026, telling him that lifting the remaining U.S. sanctions on Syria is 'the primary step toward revitalizing the Syrian economy' and essential to attracting investment, according to the Syrian presidency (reported by Reuters via SCMP and corroborated by Al Arabiya, Arab News and Daily Sabah).

Al-Sharaa stressed the importance of continued international support as Syria undergoes reconstruction and recovery and said removing remaining restrictions would improve living conditions. The call took place against a backdrop in which Washington had already substantially dismantled its Syria sanctions regime: Congress repealed the Caesar Act in December 2025, and the principal remaining comprehensive U.S. restriction is Syria's 1979 designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, which the administration has said is under review.

Remaining targeted measures still cover associates of former president Bashar al-Assad, alleged human-rights abusers, Captagon traffickers and others deemed destabilizing. The engagement extends a normalization track that began with Trump's May 2025 announcement of sanctions relief and a sitting U.S. ambassador (Tom Barrack) doubling as special envoy to Syria.