U.S. Senate votes to end Caesar sanctions on Syria

The U.S. Senate voted in favor of repealing the sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act and forwarded the 2026 Department of Defense budget bill to President Donald Trump for signature.

17 December, 2025 21:25

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The U.S. Senate approved the final version of the 2026 Department of Defense budget bill, which includes a provision to repeal the sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019. The bill was sent to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.

The Senate passed the annual defense bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), by a vote of 77 to 20, after it had been approved by the House of Representatives last week. The bill includes a clause mandating the complete repeal of the Caesar Act.

The Caesar Act, signed by Trump during his first term, was introduced to penalize any party affiliated with the former regime or dealing with the government, particularly in the construction, engineering, energy, and aviation sectors. The law remained in force despite downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.

Previously, the U.S. administration had issued temporary six-month waivers suspending the implementation of the Caesar Act.

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