Assad and his inner circle remain blacklisted. But the message is clear: the US is ready to do business with a Syria that has moved on from dictatorship—if it can prove it’s actually changed. The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel,

President Donald Trump signed on Monday an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, allowing an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system and building on Washington's pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war.

President Trump will sign an order lifting many US sanctions on Syria, the White House announced. Sanctions will still apply to individuals tied to crimes, terrorism, and Iran.