Syria hails US Senate move to lift Caesar Act sanctions

ISTANBUL

Syria on Wednesday welcomed a US Senate vote to repeal the Caesar Act sanctions on the country.

“We express our sincere gratitude to the US Senate for its support to the Syrian people through its vote to repeal the Caesar Act,” Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on US social media company X.

He said the step represents “a positive development that opens new horizons for cooperation and partnership between our country and the world.”

Earlier, the US Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a $901 billion bill outlining Pentagon policy and spending for fiscal year 2026.

The Senate approved the measure by a 77–20 vote, adopting a version already passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month. The bill now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature.

Among its key provisions, the legislation repeals Caesar Act sanctions imposed on Syria under the former regime of Bashar al-Assad.

The 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act allows the US to impose economic and travel sanctions on anyone, Syrian or foreign, who aids the former Assad regime’s military, intelligence, aviation, or energy-production sectors. It also targets individuals and entities that help the regime obtain goods, services, or technology that enable military operations.