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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has welcomed the United States’ decision to permanently lift the Caesar sanctions, describing the move as a major turning point that could open the door to renewed investment in the war-ravaged country.
The decision was confirmed on Wednesday, when the US Congress voted to end the sanctions regime imposed on Syria during the rule of Bashar al-Assad, who was removed from power in December last year.
The measures, introduced under the Caesar Act, were named after an anonymous photographer who documented abuses in Assad’s prisons and had effectively cut Syria off from the international banking system while severely restricting foreign investment.
In a recorded video released on Friday in the first post on his official X account, Sharaa said the lifting of sanctions marked the first day in 14 years that Syria was free of such measures.
He thanked Syrians for their patience and efforts over more than a decade of hardship, attributing the breakthrough to both public perseverance and international support.
Sharaa also offered particular praise to US President Donald Trump for what he described as responding to the will of the Syrian people, as well as to members of Congress for acknowledging the sacrifices made during years of conflict.
Trump had previously suspended the enforcement of sanctions on two occasions following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, both allies of Syria’s new leadership under Sharaa, a former jihadist.
Despite those temporary suspensions, Sharaa had pushed for a permanent removal of the sanctions, warning that their continued presence in US law risked deterring foreign companies concerned about potential legal exposure in the world’s largest economy.
Earlier on Friday, Syria’s foreign ministry also welcomed the decision, describing it as a gateway to a new phase of reconstruction and development.
The ministry called on Syrians at home and abroad to take part in efforts to rebuild the country and support its national recovery.
