When Dr. Zaki Lababidi, a Syrian American cardiologist, visited his hometown of Homs last month, he was struck by scenes he hadn’t witnessed in a long time.
“You could feel that change is underway; that things are moving,” he told The Jerusalem Report in a recent interview, referring to the impact on the ground of the recent US easing of some long-standing sanctions on Syria.
What stood out most, he said, was the sense of relief on people’s faces, especially among young men.
“You could see that people are now happy,” said Lababidi.
He said that US President Donald Trump’s move to remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism could truly transform the country after years of conflict and put it on a path to recovery.
The feeling of hopelessness that hung over the country seems to have faded, Lababidi said. He described a Syria where, after four decades of Assad regime repression and 14 years of war that ended with Ahmed al-Sharaa coming to power, daily life is slowly beginning to open up.
For the first time in years, Lababidi said he saw tourists exploring Homs, pointing to a significant change taking place in the country after so many years of economic isolation.
“Dealing with dollars was forbidden, but today you can exchange and use dollars, and this is a very good thing,” he said.
Lababidi noted that he believes this could help attract more tourists, foreign investors, and businessmen to Syria, especially from Gulf States.
“Companies from Dubai are interested in rebuilding Syrian cities that were decimated. Until now, they couldn’t risk their money, but with the lifting of Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, which will be followed by the easing of more sanctions, Syrian banks will be able to operate more freely and effectively, making it possible for foreigners and other countries to do business and trade with Syria, and this is a big change,” he said.
Ending the isolation
During the recent NATO summit in Ankara in July, Trump appeared alongside al-Sharaa and signaled that the US would remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The country has held this status since 1979, triggering sweeping sanctions, including bans on certain imports and exports as well as broad financial restrictions.
“I think I will,” Trump said when asked whether he would take that move. “Why wouldn’t I? He’s done a great job. I think we should. Yeah, I will.”
Later, the State Department stated that Congress had been informed of Trump’s intent to push ahead with that historic step, noting that “it opens new possibilities for economic opportunity and recovery, giving the Syrian people a chance at greatness.”
Congress has a 45-day period to review the decision before it takes effect. The move follows a series of measures by the Trump administration over the past year to ease restrictions on Syria following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad from power. In June 2025, an executive order was issued, lifting some sanctions, which, according to Lababidi, paved the way for economic development.
As a board member of the Syrian-American Council, Lababidi said that these steps came as no surprise. He has been living in the United States for 40 years now, after immigrating from Syria as a young man who opposed the Assad regime’s brutality and oppression.
Throughout the years, and most notably since al-Sharaa assumed power, he has worked with colleagues to influence key figures and lawmakers in Washington to push for the adoption of a new approach toward Syria, as circumstances have dramatically changed with the fall of Assad’s rule in late 2024.
“It is a turning point for Syria after years of isolation,” Lababidi explained, describing some other improvements that are already evident in the “new Syria.” “Al-Sharaa’s government has lifted the ban on car imports, allowing Syrians to bring in vehicles from abroad,” he noted.
“Also, there are now measures in place against bribery,” Lababidi said. “Bribes used to be a common practice. If someone wanted to get through the airport without being vetted or having their suitcases checked, they could simply pay the officers.
“Today, giving and accepting bribes can result in a year in jail,” he said.
Life after Assad
Another change Lababidi pointed to was the introduction of credit cards in Syria: “People can now use Visa,” he said. “Before, Bashar al-Assad had banned that, and everything was done in cash.”
He added that allowing transactions and enabling banks to reconnect with the outside world is an important shift that could further boost the economy and improve the lives of millions of Syrians.
In addition, monthly salaries have risen sharply from around $20 to between $100 and $150.
He went on to emphasize that under al-Sharaa’s government, military service is no longer mandatory.
“During Bashar al-Assad’s rule, young men avoided leaving their homes for fear of being arrested as draft evaders and forced to serve in an army that had turned against its own people,” Lababidi said.
Yet, the country faces immense challenges ahead. Years of war left many young Syrians without access to education and missing years of schooling. Now, al-Sharaa’s government, Lababidi continued, is offering training programs to help integrate them into the workforce.
The new Syrian ruler has been working to unify a fragmented country now under his control, moving forward step by step; recent parliamentary elections were one such effort to rebuild state institutions. However, questions remain about his approach toward minorities, particularly Alawites, Druze, Kurds, and Christians.
Al-Sharaa’s past, rooted in jihadist ideology and shaped by his leadership of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-Qaeda-linked group, has fueled deep mistrust in Israel, reinforcing the view that he should be treated with great caution.
“Nobody is denying al-Sharaa’s background, but until now, he has shown that he is wise and pragmatic,” said Michael Harari, a former Israeli ambassador to Cyprus, who served in other diplomatic posts and was born in Aleppo, Syria.
Harari noted that al-Sharaa has grown more confident, mainly because of the supportive policy of the Trump administration.
“Al-Sharaa said he’s not seeking confrontation with Israel or other neighboring countries. He is also combating Islamic State militants in Syria and has taken steps to block Iranian attempts to use Syrian territory as a supply lifeline to Hezbollah,” Harari said.
“These actions have reinforced his image as a responsible leader,” Harari continued.
He added that al-Sharaa’s efforts to stabilize Syria have led Trump to endorse him, noting that he’s viewed as someone who could lead Syria to success.
“Israel should internalize the new American policy to back al-Sharaa and leverage it to diplomatic strategic steps that could serve Jerusalem’s interests,” he said.
What could impede the momentum of Syria’s reconstruction, Harari said, is the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US, as the Gulf States, which are considered key partners for investment, are now focused on their own urgent domestic issues, something that may limit their attention to Syria’s recovery process.■