State Department says lifting Syria sanctions intended to enable aid and governance support; security constraints still limit embassy return

Secretary Rubio told the Senate committee that the administration lifted certain sanctions on Syria to allow neighboring countries to supply assistance and to create conditions for governance and stabilization efforts. He said the move aims to enable partners to “begin to assist [the] transitional authority to build governance mechanisms.”

Rubio said engaging the transition leadership was necessary because the alternative risked the collapse of institutions and renewed civil war. “If we did not engage them, it was guaranteed to not work out,” he said, while acknowledging the transitional leaders had “tough history” and some had not passed FBI background checks.

On reopening a U.S. embassy in Syria, Rubio said security is the primary constraint. He explained the practical challenges: evacuations, medevac plans, and the reach of armed groups inside Syria. “You don't just have to get people in. You have to get people out,” he said.

Senators emphasized the regional implications: Senator Jeanne Shaheen and others urged care in waivers and noted that short-term executive waivers would not attract broader private investment; Rubio agreed congressional action might be required to offer investors legal certainty. He added that stabilization in Syria would have impacts in Lebanon and across the region.

Rubio said the administration has taken steps to reengage diplomats — issuing visas to Syrian officials and meeting their ministers at international gatherings — and that these were intended to unlock humanitarian and governance assistance by neighboring countries.