The “Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act,” once one of Washington’s most prominent pressure tools, has undergone a dramatic shift.
On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which includes a full and unconditional repeal of the Caesar Act — legislation valued at $901 billion.
اضافة اعلان
The vote passed by an overwhelming majority (312 to 112), paving the way for President Donald Trump to sign it into law before the end of the year.
This decision marks the end of the era of comprehensive sanctions and opens a new chapter for Syria’s reconstruction under the government led by Ahmad Al-Shara’.
Background of the Caesar Act: A Law Born From Documented Torture
The Caesar Act was passed on December 20, 2019, named after the defector “Omar Al-Khattab” (formerly codenamed “Caesar”), who exposed over 55,000 secret photographs documenting the torture and execution of tens of thousands of civilians in regime prisons between 2011 and 2013.
Its primary objective was to punish the Syrian regime for war crimes.
The law imposed extensive sanctions on individuals and foreign companies dealing with Damascus in the energy and infrastructure sectors, leading to Syria’s near-total international isolation.
However, it was criticized by human rights organizations for exacerbating the severe economic crisis, with poverty reaching 90% of the population and inflation rising to 200% annually.
Full Repeal: New Conditions for Compliance
The full repeal came as a direct consequence of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, and capped a series of preliminary steps that began in May 2025 with the U.S. Treasury issuing General License No. 25 (GL 25) to support reconstruction, followed by Trump’s Executive Order (EO 14312) ending the Syrian Sanctions Regime (SySR).
The new repeal legislation requires the U.S. administration to submit periodic reports to Congress confirming Damascus’s commitment to combating ISIS.
If violations occur, the president may impose targeted sanctions on offenders (under Section 8369(b)) without reinstating the previous comprehensive sanctions framework.
Reactions: “An Economic Victory Day”
The repeal sparked widespread celebrations across Syrian cities, where the decision was described as an “economic victory day.”
Economically, experts expect an increase in Syrian oil prices and a surge in investments, which could restore economic growth to 5–7% annually by 2027 and support the return of millions of refugees.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers expressed concern that an unconditional repeal could embolden corruption unless paired with stricter oversight.
