The US Congress is preparing to repeal the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, according to a document included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 targeted the Assad regime for alleged war crimes and restricted US and foreign entities from engaging with Syria’s government or reconstruction projects, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The repeal, however, comes with conditions. The US president must report to Congress within 90 days and then every 180 days for four years, confirming that Syria is:
Combating ISIS and other terrorist groups
Respecting minority rights
Avoiding military action against neighbors
Fighting money laundering and terrorism financing
Prosecuting former regime crimes and controlling drug production
If Syria fails to meet these requirements over two reporting periods, sanctions could be reinstated.
The bill also mandates updates on US military posture in Syria and ISIS detention facilities.
Some sanctions have already been lifted, including delisting senior Syrian officials from US and UN terror-related sanctions. The remaining sanctions require congressional approval, though temporary waivers have been used in the past.
This move follows President Donald Trump’s announcement to begin lifting sanctions after meetings with Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa and subsequent executive orders in 2025.
The US State Department has also revoked certain terrorist designations, including the al-Nusrah Front, and removed Sharaa from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist list.