The US Congress on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) finally lifted sanctions imposed on Syria during the rule of Bashar al-Assad, paving the way for the return of investments to the war-torn country.
Donald Trump had already suspended the implementation of sanctions twice in response to requests from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, allies of the new government led by former jihadist Ahmed al Sharaa, which led a coalition that toppled Al Assad a year ago.
Sharaa had opposed lifting these sanctions out of fear that they would deter companies from investing in the country.
The Senate voted 77-20 in favor of the bill, which had already been approved by the House of Representatives. Trump is now expected to sign it.
The move “is a critical step in giving the Syrian people a real chance to rebuild after decades of unimaginable suffering,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The aim of the sanctions was to prevent the arrival of foreign companies to help rebuild Syria at a time when it appeared that Assad had triumphed after more than a decade of civil war.
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