The US Congress on Wednesday permanently lifted sanctions imposed on Syria under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, opening the door to renewed investment.
The decision follows years of economic isolation that left Syria’s cities shattered and its economy frozen after a brutal civil war.
President Donald Trump had twice suspended the sanctions after appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, both key allies of Syria’s new leadership.
Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, pushed for a permanent repeal, warning temporary relief discouraged investors fearing US legal exposure.
The Senate voted 77–20 to repeal the 2019 Caesar Act within a sweeping annual defence package.
The measure had already passed the House of Representatives and is expected to be signed into law by Trump.
The repeal won rare bipartisan support, signalling a shift in Washington’s approach to post-war Syria.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen called the move a decisive step toward allowing Syrians to rebuild after decades of profound suffering.
The Caesar Act, named after a defector who documented prison abuses, cut Syria off from global banking and foreign investment.
It was designed to block reconstruction funds while Assad appeared to have survived a conflict marked by atrocities and mass displacement.
Sharaa’s forces seized Damascus last year in a rapid offensive that reshaped Syria’s political landscape.
Now wearing business suits instead of fatigues, Sharaa has sought closer ties with the West, reportedly impressing Trump during talks in Riyadh.