Syrians took to the streets and flooded social media platforms on Tuesday following an unexpected announcement by US President Donald Trump that all American sanctions on Syria would be lifted.
The move, made during a televised address from Saudi Arabia’s capital, sparked widespread celebrations across Syrian cities and online, marking what many described as a historic moment of hope after years of conflict and economic hardship.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump declared to a standing ovation at a conference in Riyadh, adding: “there is a new government that will hopefully succeed. I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special”.
If the sanctions are indeed lifted, it would be the first time Syria has not been under US sanctions since 1979, when the government of then-President Hafez al-Assad was labelled a state sponsor of terrorism.
Washington ramped up sanctions after Hafez’s son Bashar al-Assad brutally cracked down on anti-government protesters in 2011, and then opposition groups and civilians as the country spiralled into a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.
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In December 2024, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham fighters toppled the decades-long Assad dynasty. The new government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been lobbying intensely for sanctions relief as it seeks to rebuild a country devastated by 13 years of civil war.
In his speech, Trump credited Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with persuading him to lift the sanctions.
The reaction from Syrians was immediate and jubilant.
“People are starting to come out in celebration,” one person posted on X shortly after the announcement.
Videos quickly emerged of spontaneous gatherings in many of Syria’s major cities, including Damascus, Homs, Idlib and Aleppo, with people waving flags and setting off fireworks.
One social media user joked that the famous dessert halawet el-jibn “is American” as a light-hearted nod to the long-standing rivalry between Homs and Hama over its origins, and a wry gesture of gratitude toward the United States.
Video clip of a character singing “I am so happy” alongside the caption: “Me and my 30 million Syrian liras”
“The Syrian pound (vs dollar) is in sharp recovery after Trump’s announcement to lift the US sanctions,” one post stated.
Others shared similar observations, with one person writing: “Syrian pound strengthens to 7500/dollar. The Ws are coming in fast and furious!”
Amid the economic excitement, many expressed a sense of relief and celebration, with one user stating: “Let Syrians be happy”.
Browsing Twitter tonight pic.twitter.com/refVp0I7Hh
— Oz Katerji (@OzKaterji) May 13, 2025
Many Syrians also began mimicking a hand gesture made by Mohammed bin Salman during Trump’s speech.
Others referred to it as “a symbol of celebration”.
The gesture of the Saudi Crown Prince after Trump’s announcement of lifting sanctions on Syria has now become a trend in Syria.💚 pic.twitter.com/KJc9ugMgJl
— Nedal Al-Amari 🇸🇾 (@nedalalamari) May 13, 2025
Amid the celebrations, some people struck a more cautious tone.
“Let us continue to remember the blood of our brothers who were martyred and are still being martyred,” wrote one commenter under an edit of Trump dancing to Syrian revolution chants, urging others not to celebrate the president, who they said “has participated and continues to participate in genocide”, a reference to the ongoing war in Gaza.
“Let us rejoice only in the lifting of sanctions, without glorifying Trump, and let us not forget our goal and our core direction,” they continued.
Some commenters viewed the celebrations as a symbolic victory over the previous government. “Only if you [Bashar al-Assad] knew how many Syrians would love to see your reaction today as the country turns a new page, moving away from the sanctions and ostracisation that you brought on all of us,” said one person.
سقط هو وابنه والعقوبات pic.twitter.com/gSJ1QKyTji
— Syrian vibes (@syrianvibes) May 13, 2025
Translation: Him, and his son, and the sanctions fell.
The move is a blow to Israel, which occupies a swath of southwestern Syria.
Senior Israeli officials have discussed dividing Syria into provincial regions, with Kurdish and Druze zones, as they try to position Israel as a protector of minorities, a move that has been rejected by most of Syria’s Christians and Druze.
On social media, one user responded with “womp womp” to a news tweet reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had urged Trump not to lift sanctions on Syria, accompanied by a picture of Sharaa, Trump and the Saudi crown prince meeting together on Wednesday.
