US outlines conditions for Syria sanctions relief, including chemical weapons destruction

The United States has outlined specific conditions for easing sanctions on Syria’s interim government, including verifiable destruction of chemical weapons, suppression of terrorism, and prevention of Iranian influence, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on 31 March.

Responding to questions about Syria’s newly formed transitional cabinet announced by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Bruce acknowledged the cabinet’s diverse composition but emphasised that concrete actions would determine US policy adjustments.

‘We recognize the struggles of the Syrian people who have suffered decades under despotic rule and oppression of the Assad regime, and we hope this announcement represents a positive step for an inclusive and representative Syria,’ Bruce told reporters during a regular press briefing.

However, she laid out several key conditions that would need to be met before any sanctions relief could be considered, including that Syria’s interim authorities must ‘fully renounce and suppress terrorism, exclude foreign terrorist fighters from any official roles, prevent Iran and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory, take meaningful steps to verifiably destroy Assad’s chemical weapons, assist in the recovery of US and other citizens who have been disappeared in Syria, and ensure the security and freedoms of Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities.’

The remarks come after Syria’s interim president announced a new cabinet that includes representatives from various religious and ethnic groups, including a woman, an Alawite, a Druze, and a Kurd.

‘Any adjustment to US policy towards Syria’s interim authorities will be contingent on all of those steps being taken that I mentioned to you,’ Bruce said, indicating that the US will be closely monitoring the new government’s actions rather than its composition.

https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-march-31-2025/