U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani regarding President Donald Trump's measures to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria.

In a statement released Thursday evening, the U.S. State Department noted that Rubio and Al-Shibani spoke via phone about the "historic steps taken by President Trump to terminate the U.S. sanctions program and the national emergency concerning Syria."

Rubio emphasized that he would consider additional measures to review domestic terrorism designations and UN classifications related to Syria. He also reaffirmed his commitment to "maintaining sanctions on entities including Bashar al-Assad, his associates, and others who threaten Syrian and international security." The Secretary expressed hope that these steps could mark a new chapter for the Syrian people and U.S.-Syrian relations.

The statement added that the two ministers also discussed other shared concerns, including counterterrorism, Iran, Israel-Syria relations, and the dismantling of any remaining chemical weapons under the Assad regime.

Executive Order Signed
On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to lift sanctions on Syria, effective tomorrow. This comes less than two months after his pledge to do so during a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he met with Syrian President Ahmed Sharaf.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the White House stated that ending the sanctions program aims to "support Syria’s path toward stability and peace."