Republican Rep. Brian Mast backs down from his opposition to lifting sanctions on Syria, but with conditions!

Republican Rep. Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Thursday that he supports lifting sweeping sanctions on Syria, but called for new provisions to allow for additional sanctions if Syria’s transitional government fails to meet specific conditions.

Mast explained in a statement to The Hill newspaper that his position doesn’t contradict the Trump administration’s pro-total lifting of sanctions, noting that the president has the power to suspend these sanctions for only six months at a time.

“Yes, to full repeal, but with a mechanism that allows for the re-imposition of sanctions if the required conditions aren’t met… The cancellation will remain complete, but with guarantees,” he said.

Mast is trying to walk a delicate line between supporting the lifting of comprehensive sanctions—including the Caesar Act for the Protection of Civilians in Syria—and demanding standards that commit Damascus to political and humanitarian reforms.

But this proposal could be rejected by supporters of full repeal, who fear that the mere threat of reinstating sanctions will derail reconstruction efforts and Syria’s return to the international scene.

Mast said he was in daily talks with the White House on the issue, as US President Donald Trump and Syrian transitional president Ahmed al Sharaa, along with their allies in Congress and civil society groups, are pushing for a full lifting of sanctions.

During a historic visit to the White House this month, Trump said regarding Ahmed al Sharaa: “He’s a strong leader… He came from difficult circumstances… I’ve an excellent relationship with the new president in Syria, and we will do everything we can to support Syria’s success”.

Previous sanctions on the Assad regime have been among the most severe in the world, limiting financial dealings with Damascus and imposing sanctions on any entity or country that cooperates with it for widespread human rights abuses, killings, and systematic detentions.

Supporters of a final lifting of sanctions, on the other hand, argue that not fully lifting them will make US companies and US allies reluctant to invest inside Syria, fearing a sudden return to sanctions.

They also warn that the continued Caesar sanctions have hampered efforts to uncover the fate of Americans who are still missing in Syria.