Washington, Dec. 18 (SANA) U.S. President Donald Trump signed the fiscal year 2026 defense budget into law late Thursday, formally repealing the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, a sweeping measures imposed on the former regime in 2019.
The repeal was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed both chambers of Congress in recent days. The Caesar Act had targeted the former Syrian regime over war crimes and human rights abuses against the Syrian people, restricting foreign investment and financial transactions linked to Syria.
The repeal was unconditional and marked the culmination of diplomatic efforts by the Syrian government, Syrian community in America, Syrian-American advocacy groups, and allied governments seeking to lift the sanctions, which had worsened humanitarian and economic conditions for ordinary Syrians.
Mohammad Alaa Ghanem, head of political affairs at the Syrian American Council, said on X that the repeal had become binding U.S. law following the president’s signature. “As of today, Syria is no longer subject to Caesar sanctions,” he wrote.
The Syrian American Coalition for Peace and Prosperity described the decision as a “turning point,” saying it could facilitate humanitarian relief, reconstruction, economic recovery, and new opportunities for investment and cooperation between Syrian and U.S. stakeholders.
U.S. Representative Joe Wilson also welcomed the signing, saying on X that the NDAA “officially repeals the Caesar Act sanctions imposed on Syria.”
Trump had announced his intention to lift sanctions on Syria during a visit to Saudi Arabia on May 13, but congressional approval was required to formally repeal the legislation.
The Senate approved the repeal provision in October, followed by the House in December. The bill briefly returned to the Senate due to unrelated amendments before receiving final approval and being sent to the White House.
The repeal of the Caesar Act is expected to ease restrictions on foreign aid and investment and remove a major barrier to Syria’s economic recovery and reconstruction efforts.
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