US lawmakers have voted to permanently repeal Assad-era sanctions on Syria
By Sammy,
US lawmakers have voted to permanently repeal Assad-era sanctions on Syria, ending a legal framework that for years blocked foreign investment and cut the country off from the international financial system. The measure, included in a wide-ranging annual defense bill, passed the Senate by a 77-20 margin after earlier approval by the House and is expected to be signed by President Donald Trump.
The repeal eliminates the 2019 Caesar Act, named after a defector who documented abuses in Syrian prisons. While Trump had already suspended enforcement of the sanctions twice - following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which support Syria's new leadership - Syrian officials pushed for a permanent rollback, arguing that temporary waivers still discouraged companies wary of legal risks tied to the US market.
The move has broad bipartisan backing in Congress. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the repeal offers Syrians a real opportunity to rebuild after years of war. The shift comes a year after Ahmed al-Sharaa's forces captured Damascus in a swift offensive, with the new leader now seeking improved relations with the West and having made a favorable impression on Trump during their first meeting in Riyadh last May.
Topics: Syria
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.