The Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions on Saturday in a big first step toward fulfilling the US President’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country shattered by 13 years of civil war.

While broad, the administration’s actions could possibly be reversed. Syrians say they need permanent relief to secure the tens of billions of dollars in investment needed to rebuild after a conflict that fragmented the country, displaced or killed millions of people, and left behind thousands of fighters. Syria is now led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former militia commander who helped drive longtime leader Bashar Assad from power last year.