Rabat – The US announced on Monday it has decided to alleviate some of its imposed sanctions on Syria.
US activities and transactions in Syria are to be expanded following the decision of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac), which is part of the US Treasury Department.
In particular, the Office “issued Syria General License (GL) 24 to expand authorizations for activities and transactions” in the Middle Eastern country.
The decision comes as a move from the US to ease the sanctions to ensure they did not hamper basic services, including the provision of electricity, energy, water, sanitation, or human aid.
The US Treasury Department said this step comes “the extraordinary circumstances, and to support the Syrian people as they build a more hopeful, secure, and peaceful future.”
The decision, which will take effect for six months with the US monitoring the developments in Syria, comes at a time when the Middle Eastern war-torn country is rebounding from a decade-long civil war.
However, the decision does not include unblocking “the property or interest in property of any blocked person under any of our sanctions programs, including Assad and his associates, the Government of Syria, Central Bank of Syria, or Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS),” according to the Treasury’s statement.
As the country is charting a path forward, the interim government has taken to a number of other countries, “looking for good relations in the region.”
Read also: Morocco Hopes New Developments Bring Stability to Syria
The interim government’s chief diplomat is making visits to neighboring countries to discuss the progress of the Syrian situation.
Syria’s rebel coalition, led by the Sunni Islamist HTS, entered Damascus on December 8, 2024, and declared the country liberated from the 50-year Al-Assad family authoritarian rule.
The civil war, which started in 2011 following a popular uproar, killed 2 million, displaced millions of others, and destroyed much of the country.
The majority of Syrians received the toppling of Bachar Al-Assad with great joy, and the news was welcomed by several countries around the world.
As the Syrian interim government attempts to gather more support, the world is cautiously optimistic about how developments will unfold in the country.
Over the past week, observers raised concerns after the interim government revealed a controversial plan to amend the school curricula, reflecting some fundamentalist background.
Right after the fall of Assad’s regime, Morocco joined the majority of the international community in expressing its hopes to see developments in Syria bring a brighter future with more peace, stability, and economic prosperity for millions of Syrians who have again started to believe in their country.
