ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US House of Representatives late on Wednesday advanced a defense spending bill that includes a repeal of the Caesar Act sanctions - the most restrictive measures imposed on Syria during the rule of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad.
The provision is part of the National Defense Authorization Act, published recently by Congress, and seen by Rudaw, including “Sec. 6211. Repeal of Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019,” which formally terminates the sanctions, affirming the Act "is hereby repealed."
The US House voted by a majority of 312 in favor to 112 against to lift the sanctions.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported Thursday that the repeal of the Caesar Act followed “intensive diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Syrian government, supported by the Syrian diaspora and active Syrian-American organizations in Washington, in addition to the support of brotherly and friendly countries.”
SANA quoted Abdul Hafiz Sharaf, a member of the Syrian American Council (SAC) - one of the key organizations advocating for the repeal in Washington - as saying that the bill will now return to the Senate for “some amendments to the budget bill unrelated to Syria.”
He added that “there may be another vote in the Senate on the budget as a whole, not specifically on Syria,” noting that “the cancellation will pass automatically and then reach the US President’s desk for final signature.”
US President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill before Christmas.
The conditions
Importantly, according to Section 6211 of the bill, the Syrian government must meet a series of conditions.
Under the proposal, the President must submit a report to Congress within 90 days of enactment - and every 180 days for four years - certifying whether Damascus is complying with six benchmarks. These include a commitment to “eliminating the threat posed by [the Islamic State] ISIS” and “other terrorist groups” in partnership with the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
Another benchmark is progress on minority inclusion in the government and “in providing security for religious and ethnic minorities.” The Syrian government must also refrain from “unilateral, unprovoked military action against its neighbors” - a seeming indirect reference to Israel.
The report must also determine whether Syria has stopped supporting actors harmful to US interests, removed foreign fighters from senior government roles, and begun “investigating and committing to prosecuting those responsible for serious human rights abuses since December 8, 2024.”
Congress signals that if the President cannot make “affirmative certification for two consecutive reporting periods,” sanctions under the original Caesar Act should be reinstated until compliance is achieved.
The backdrop
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, or Caesar Act, sanctions the former Syrian government, including ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad, for war crimes against civilians. Signed into law in December 2019, its provisions came into effect on June 17, 2020, with the first round of designations under the Act.
Wednesday's repeal comes after the US Treasury Department had in early November announced a 180-day suspension of the Caesar Act sanctions, with exceptions for certain transactions involving Russia and Iran. The Treasury described this as part of Trump’s plan to give Syria “a chance at greatness.”
Since seizing power from Assad in December last year and being appointed interim president in late January, Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to restore international ties and lift sanctions, particularly US sanctions.
In May, Trump announced plans to lift broad, economy-wide sanctions on Syria. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 25, authorizing previously prohibited transactions, while the State Department issued a 180-day waiver for certain Caesar Act sanctions.
In late June, Trump signed an executive order revoking six prior orders that formed the sanctions framework, effective July 1. Accordingly, OFAC removed 518 individuals and entities, including the Central Bank of Syria, from the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List.
While the Caesar Act is considered the most restrictive measure on Syria, other sanctions remain in place, including the State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) sanctions.