“My joy is immense”: Euphoria in Syria after Trump’s announcement on lifting sanctions

In Syria, Donald Trump's surprise announcement on May 13 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that US sanctions on the country were being lifted sent shockwaves and were greeted with "popular celebrations," reports Syria TV . In the capital Damascus, as well as in Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Idlib, Latakia, and Tartus, thousands of people spontaneously "took to the streets and squares, " waving flags and chanting slogans of the Syrian revolution.

For Syrians, it is a "historic moment, worthy of the joy of the fall of the regime [of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024] , expressing their hope for the beginning of a new era that would put an end to years of war and deprivation."

Syria has been subject to international sanctions since 1979, which have been significantly tightened since the start of the war in 2011. They primarily target the ousted dictator and his close family, political, and economic circles.

“It is the right of the Syrian people, after 14 years of war and 50 years of oppression by the Assads, to live in stability and security,” he told the pan-Arab media Al-Jazeera. a protester in Idlib. “My joy is immense, this decision will have a real