U.S. Congress permanently lifts sanctions on Syria

The U.S. Congress voted to permanently repeal sanctions imposed on Syria during the rule of Bashar Assad.

U.S. President Donald Trump had already twice suspended the implementation of sanctions, in response to pleas from Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, allies of the new government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The Senate passed the repeal of the 2019 Caesar Act as part of a sweeping annual defense package. The Senate voted 77 to 20 in favor of the legislation, which was already approved by the House of Representatives and is expected to be signed by Trump.

The law was intended to prevent the influx of foreign businesses to rebuild Syria at a time when it had seemed that Assad had triumphed following more than a decade of brutal civil war that triggered a massive flow of refugees toward Europe.