WASHINGTON

The Trump administration on Friday said it supports repealing the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, urging the US lawmakers to include it in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is currently under discussion in Congress.

“The administration supports repealing the Caesar Act. Congress should include the repeal in the NDAA,” a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu.

The spokesperson added that the “cessation of sanctions against Syria preserves the integrity of our primary objective – the enduring defeat of ISIS – and will give the people of Syria a chance for a better future.”

“The United States is in regular communication with regional partners and welcomes any investment or engagement in Syria that supports the chance for all Syrians to have a peaceful and prosperous country,” the spokesperson added.

It follows Trump’s May 2025 announcement to lift most US sanctions on Syria after meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia—the first between US and Syrian leaders in 25 years. At the time, Trump described the sanctions as “brutal and crippling,” and added that lifting them would “give Syria a chance at greatness.”

On June 30, Trump signed an executive order to end US sanctions against Syria, though the 2019 Caesar Act authorizing such measures remains in force. Syria's new government considers the Caesar Act sanctions an obstacle to the country’s recovery after nearly 14 years of civil war that devastated Syria’s economy and infrastructure.

Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly a quarter century, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, marking the end of the Baath Party’s decades-long rule, which began in 1963.

Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces that ousted Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January, pledging to rebuild the country and restore stability.