Spontaneous celebrations erupted in Damascus’s Umayyad Square on Tuesday night in response to the news that President Donald Trump would lift longstanding American sanctions on Syria, and a massive electronic billboard featured Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Syria has experienced tremendous political upheaval in the past six months following the victory of al-Qaeda offshoot terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former Nusra Front, against former Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. HTS forces defeated Assad’s military and forced the dictator into exile in Russia on December 8, 2024, ending the Syrian Civil War that began in 2011. The war killed over half a million people, according to estimates by human rights groups.
HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was formally installed as an “interim” president in January, succeeding Assad. A veteran jihadist with former ties to al-Qaeda, the United States had an active $10 million bounty available for information leading to Sharaa’s capture, which former President Joe Biden lifted as one of the last acts of his administration. Sharaa has since promised that he would dismantle HTS and build an “inclusive” new Syrian government that will eventually, years down the road, lead to free and fair elections.
In additions to sanctions on HTS, a State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization, Syria is under onerous sanctions as a country, including the rare designation of state sponsor of terrorism. The sanctions are a response to decades of human rights atrocities committed by the Assad regime and Assad’s close ties to Islamist Iran and its expansive global terror network. Supporters of the new regime, including the Saudi crown prince, argue that those sanctions are not relevant to the HTS jihadist junta as HTS fought against Assad, Hezbollah, and other Iranian-linked allies for years.
President Trump appeared to agree with that logic, announcing on Tuesday that he would lift all sanctions in Syria. He met with Sharaa in person in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The night before that meeting, Syrians in Damascus erupted in cheers and took to the streets celebrating the end of American sanctions, which effectively permits Syria to reenter the global economy.
Videos taken on the ground show hundreds of people cheering in the streets of Damascus, streams of cars flowing around the square honking loudly, and many jubilant Syrians waving the flag of the new regime on their roofs.
The Emirati newspaper The National reported that revelers held up posters featuring both Trump and Mohammed bin Salman and chanted “We love you, Trump!” — repurposing a slogan previously used for Assad.
“Drivers honked horns and placards of US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were hoisted high as Syrians poured into the streets in scenes of unrestrained jubilation,” the newspaper narrated.
A massive electronic billboard showed images of Trump and Mohammed bin Salman with an English-language caption reading “Thank you, Saudi Arabia, United States of America.”
Syrians also set off fireworks to celebrate the occasion.
One participant in the celebrations, identified as taxi driver Mohamed Dibou, told the National that the celebrations in Damascus resembled those in December when Assad fled the country and that citizens were “very optimistic” that they could rebuild their country after over a decade of war.
“President Trump is very humane, we love him,” he added.
Trump spoke very highly of Sharaa following their in-person meeting, which the Saudi crown prince sat in for. Islamist Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan called into the meeting from Ankara.
Asked about his impression of Sharaa, Trump described him as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together. He’s a real leader. He led a charge and he’s pretty amazing,” Trump continued. “I felt very strongly that this would give them a chance. It’s not going to be easy anyway, so gives them a good strong chance. And, it was my honor to do so.”
Trump also hinted that Sharaa may be open to joining the Abraham Accords, an initiative begun in Trump’s first term to normalize Israel’s relations with the Muslim world. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain were the first countries to sign onto the initiative.
“I think they have to get themselves straightened up. I told him, ‘I hope you’re going to join [the Abraham Accords] when it’s straightened out.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ But they have a lot of work to do,” Trump said.
Sharaa returned the compliments in an address to the nation on Wednesday night, praising Trump for making a “courageous and historic” decision. Thanking his Middle East allies for their support, Sharaa said that they helped communicate to America and “President Trump, thankfully, responded to this love.”
“The decision to lift the sanctions was a courageous and historic one, alleviating the suffering of the people, aiding their renaissance, and laying the foundations for stability in the region,” Sharaa asserted.
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