US Congress set to repeal Caesar Act sanctions on Syria

Bill mandates White House review of situation in Damascus every 180 days

Syrians hold flags as they gather to mark the first anniversary of the fall of the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad, in Latakia, Syria. Reuters

The US Congress could soon repeal the so-called Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, with the proposal appearing in the National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026.

The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, signed into law in 2019, was aimed at members of the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad who were accused of war crimes and human rights abuses.

Legislators released the final text of the defence bill at the weekend, and the legislation could face a vote as early as this week.

The repeal of the sanctions comes with conditions, however: it mandates a review of the situation in Syria every 180 days over the course of four years to ensure that Damascus is taking appropriate action in areas including combating ISIS, removing foreign fighters from government roles, and upholding religious and ethnic minority rights, among others.

If the US government finds that the Syrian government is off track in these goals, the bill stipulates that it can impose sanctions on individuals until Damascus adjusts course.

Hayat Tahrir Al Sham toppled the Assad regime in December last year, ending decades of oppressive rule. Relations between the US and Syria have been warming since then, and Damascus has been working to secure sanctions relief from Washington and other governments around the world.

During his trip to the Gulf in May, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would remove Assad-era sanctions on the country.

In August, the US Treasury Department announced it was removing Syria from its sanctions list. And in June, members of Congress introduced legislation a month later aimed at repealing the Caesar Act.

When Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara's visited Washington last month, the Treasury Department and the Department of Commerce said Caesar Act sanctions would be removed for a period of 180 days, with exceptions of sanctionable transactions with Russia and Iran. The waiver renewed a May 23 pause.