Syria Officially Without Caesar Sanctions
President Trump signs law repealing Caesar sanctions on Syria after Congress approval.
SUMMARY
U.S. President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act including the repeal of the Caesar sanctions on Syria after Congressional approval, paving the way for the return of investments, foreign aid, and support for the Syrian economy.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Trump signs National Defense Authorization Act with repeal of Caesar Act.
- Law requires periodic reports on Syrian government and counterterrorism efforts.
- U.S. Senate and House vote to repeal sanctions on Syria.
- Syrian government welcomes repeal and considers it an economic success.
CORE SUBJECT
Repeal of Caesar Act and U.S. Sanctions on Syria
U.S. President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes the largest annual budget for the Department of Defense in U.S. history, exceeding $900 billion, as well as the repeal of the Caesar Act that imposed sanctions on Syria since 2019.
President Trump signed the new law after Congress approved it, away from media cameras, contrary to previous announcements.
The law sets priorities for the defense of the United States and requires the White House to submit periodic reports to Congress for four years confirming the Syrian government's continued efforts to combat terrorism and drugs, protect minorities, and pursue peace with neighboring countries.
The law stipulates that the U.S. president may impose specific sanctions on Syria if the report is negative for two consecutive periods.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted in favor of the Department of Defense budget law for 2026, which includes a provision to repeal the sanctions imposed on Syria under the "Caesar Act," and the Senate referred the law to President Donald Trump for his signature to become effective.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the repeal of the Caesar Act, under which American sanctions were imposed on Syria. The Syrian government welcomed this step and said it would restore recovery to the Syrian economy.
The repeal of the law is expected to pave the way for the return of investments and foreign aid to support the Syrian government led by Prime Minister Ahmad Al-Sharrah.
U.S. sanctions had been a major obstacle to the revival of the Syrian economy, and their removal is considered evidence of the success of the new Syrian government.
The "Caesar Act" was enacted in December 2019 to punish the pillars of the Syrian regime for war crimes against civilians and imposed broad sanctions targeting individuals, companies, and institutions linked to the regime of the ousted President Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown in 2024 and fled to Russia.
KEYWORDS
MENTIONED ENTITIES 7
Donald Trump
👤 Person_MaleU.S. President who signed the National Defense Authorization Act
U.S. Congress
🏛️ OrganizationLegislative body that approved the law
U.S. Senate
🏛️ OrganizationVoted in favor of the 2026 Department of Defense budget law
U.S. House of Representatives
🏛️ OrganizationApproved the repeal of the Caesar Act
Syrian government
🏛️ OrganizationWelcomed the repeal of sanctions and considers it an economic success
Ahmad Al-Sharrah
👤 Person_MalePrime Minister of the new Syrian government
Bashar al-Assad
👤 Person_MaleOusted Syrian president who was overthrown in 2024