Call to Ease Sanctions: Risch and Shaheen Propose to the U.S. on Syria
April 23, 2025, 12:58 pm

Call to Ease Sanctions: Risch and Shaheen Propose to the U.S. on Syria

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In a notable development, Senators Jim Risch (Republican from Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat from New Hampshire), the chairman and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged the Trump administration this week to consider expanding the easing of sanctions imposed on Syria. This was mentioned in a letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Pruitt.

This letter comes as an important step from two key leaders in foreign policy within Congress, as their efforts to expand sanctions relief under certain conditions for the new Syrian government have garnered broad bipartisan support in Washington, despite opposition from the Israeli government.

Risch and Shaheen expressed the importance of "removing barriers to increased engagement with the interim Syrian government," emphasizing the need to strike a balance between "opportunity and risk." Instead of taking a hard-line approach, they called for opening the door for U.S. partners to engage more in Syria.

The lawmakers stressed the importance of a comprehensive review of current U.S. regulations concerning Syria, including expanding general licenses and easing limited or short-term sanctions. They also called for sanctions relief in vital areas such as agriculture, energy, financial technology, and education.

They urged improvements to general licensing provisions to ensure "more time and geographical flexibility for those working on the ground." They clearly suggested considering "temporary sanctions relief" to enhance stability and prevent deterioration of the situation.

They affirmed that the United States should encourage the new Syrian government to intensify its efforts in combating terrorism, preventing Iranian and Russian influence, destroying remaining chemical weapons, as well as eliminating drug trafficking and searching for missing American citizens.

Risch and Shaheen emphasized the necessity of rewarding "irreversible" progress on these issues through comprehensive sanctions relief, in exchange for efforts to bolster economic and diplomatic pressure if progress is not achieved in this regard.

At the end of the letter, the lawmakers noted that some reports from Syria raise serious concerns about setbacks on these issues. They also drew attention to "the increasing competition between Israel and Turkey regarding the Syrian file," which could pose a threat to U.S. interests, and urged the administration to "act swiftly to mediate between our allies."

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