The repeal was included in the massive National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, a $901 billion defense policy bill that passed the House on Wednesday by a bipartisan vote of 312–112. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where a vote is expected next week, with President Donald Trump widely anticipated to sign it into law.
Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement on Thursday describing the House decision as “a direct outcome of months of constructive diplomatic engagement” between Damascus and Washington. It called the move a “pivotal moment” in rebuilding trust and opening a new chapter of cooperation under the leadership of President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The statement emphasized that lifting the Caesar Act would pave the way for broad economic recovery, restore opportunities long denied to the Syrian people, and enable the import of essential goods, medicines, and reconstruction materials. It added that Syria will continue working to remove all remaining restrictions in the interest of its citizens and expressed gratitude to everyone who supported the process.
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, signed into law in December 2019 during Trump’s first term, authorized sweeping economic and travel sanctions against any individual or entity — Syrian or foreign — that provided significant support to the Assad regime’s military, intelligence, aviation, or energy sectors. The law dramatically deepened Syria’s international isolation, accelerated currency collapse, and worsened an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.
The 2026 NDAA not only repeals those sanctions but replaces them with a lighter, conditional framework: for the next four years, the White House must certify every 180 days that the new Syrian government is actively combating ISIS, expelling foreign fighters from state institutions, protecting religious and ethnic minorities, and refraining from unprovoked aggression against neighboring countries, including Israel. Failure to meet these benchmarks could trigger targeted individual sanctions, though the broad sectoral penalties of the Caesar era would remain lifted.
President Ahmad al-Sharaa — the former HTS leader once known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani — has played a central role in this diplomatic breakthrough. Since taking power in January 2025 after the lightning collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, al-Sharaa has dissolved the old army and security apparatus, suspended the Baath-era constitution, and embarked on an intense international charm offensive.
His milestones include:
- A historic visit to the White House on November 10, 2025 — the first by a Syrian head of state in decades
- Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, the first Syrian presidential speech at the UN in nearly 60 years
- Securing an initial 180-day sanctions waiver in June 2025 that excluded transactions with Russia and Iran
- Meeting key congressional figures, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, who ultimately backed the repeal
Economic indicators are already showing tentative improvement. Syria’s GDP, which shrank by more than 80% during the Assad years, recorded 4.2% growth in the third quarter of 2025, fueled by humanitarian trade waivers and returning diaspora investment. Saudi companies have signaled readiness to inject up to $5 billion into energy and infrastructure projects, while Turkey, the UAE, Qatar, and Jordan have all announced reconstruction support packages.
Human rights organizations, initially deeply wary of al-Sharaa’s past affiliation with al-Qaeda in Iraq and his leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have adopted a cautiously positive tone. Recent reports note improved treatment of religious minorities, continued military pressure on remaining ISIS cells, and the absence of large-scale reprisals against former regime supporters — all factors that helped satisfy congressional skeptics.
Nevertheless, concerns remain. Some U.S. lawmakers and Syrian minority advocates warn that removing sanctions too quickly could entrench centralized power in the hands of a former jihadist commander, even one who has publicly renounced extremism and promised inclusive institutions. Al-Sharaa’s personal history — joining al-Qaeda in Iraq before 2003, detention in Abu Ghraib, and subsequent leadership of HTS — continues to cast a long shadow for many observers.
For ordinary Syrians, however, the prospect of normalized trade, rebuilt hospitals and schools, and the return of millions of refugees outweighs those reservations. Streets in Damascus, Aleppo, and Homs, and Idlib saw spontaneous celebrations on Wednesday night as news of the House vote spread.
Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani summed up the national mood in a social media post: “Today marks a victory for justice and recognition of the resilience of the Syrian people after years of suffering.”
If the Senate follows the House and President Trump signs the bill — both considered highly likely — the full repeal of the Caesar Act will become law before the end of December 2025, closing one of the darkest chapters in modern Syrian history and opening what Damascus calls “new horizons of cooperation” with the United States and the international community.
For millions who endured war, siege, chemical attacks, and economic strangulation, the vote represents not just policy change, but the first real glimpse of hope in fifteen brutal years.
Historic Repeal of Caesar Sanctions: Syria Hails United States House Vote as Turning Point in Bilateral Ties
