Trump approves lifting of Caesar sanctions on Syria
US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026, which included a special provision to repeal sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act.
The signing took place during a ceremony held at the White House away from the media, and the law became official enforcement, including a huge defense budget of $901 billion.
Thus, the sanctions on Syria were officially lifted after the inclusion of the cancellation clause in the new law.
On December 11, 2019, the US Congress passed the Caesar Act to punish the Assad regime at the time, against the background of what he described as the commission of war crimes against civilians.
However, recent developments in the Syrian file have prompted the US administration to revise this law.
In recent weeks, both the House and Senate voted in favor of eliminating sanctions in the Defense Department’s 2026 budget, before it was referred to President Trump for his signature.
The US Treasury Department also announced on November 10 that it would suspend sanctions for 180 days, in a move that was considered a prelude to their complete lifting.
The repeal of the Caesar Act is expected to open the door to the return of foreign investment and aid to support the new Syrian administration, after years of economic and financial restrictions imposed by the law since its adoption.
