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Syria Welcomes Repeal of the ‘Caesar Act,’ Sees Step Toward Economic Recovery and Reconstruction

People gather during a march marking the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Idlib (EPA)
People gather during a march marking the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Idlib (EPA)
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Syria Welcomes Repeal of the ‘Caesar Act,’ Sees Step Toward Economic Recovery and Reconstruction

People gather during a march marking the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Idlib (EPA)
People gather during a march marking the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Idlib (EPA)

Syria’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed a vote by the US House of Representatives a day earlier in favor of repealing the Caesar Act, under which the United States imposed sanctions on former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime, describing the move as a “pivotal milestone” that opens a new path for cooperation.

In a statement, the ministry said the House vote, along with an anticipated vote in the US Senate next week, lays the groundwork for “a phase of tangible improvement in import activity, the availability of basic goods and medical supplies, and the creation of suitable conditions for reconstruction projects and the revitalization of the national economy.”

“This development represents a pivotal milestone in rebuilding trust and opening a new path for cooperation, paving the way for broader economic recovery and the return of opportunities that the Syrian people were denied for years as a result of sanctions,” the statement added.

The ministry expressed hope that the forthcoming Senate vote would lead to “the completion of the full repeal of the restrictive framework and the opening of new horizons for cooperation” between Syria and the United States.

The US House of Representatives has approved the repeal of sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act, a step that effectively clears the way to close the sanctions file and enables international and financial institutions to resume dealings with Damascus.

The move came after the House approved the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes provisions repealing the Caesar Act sanctions. The NDAA is expected to be passed by the end of the year and signed into law by President Donald Trump.

The Caesar Act, enacted in 2019, imposed sweeping sanctions on Syria targeting individuals, companies and institutions linked to Assad, who ruled the country from 2000 until his ouster in 2024 by armed opposition factions led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s current president.

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Arab World

Iraqi Oil Ministry Says It Began Exporting Fuel Oil Via Syria

A worker performs checks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, February 19, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A worker performs checks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, February 19, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Iraqi Oil Ministry Says It Began Exporting Fuel Oil Via Syria

A worker performs checks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, February 19, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A worker performs checks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, February 19, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Iraq's oil ministry said on Thursday it began exporting fuel oil via Syria after ‌disruptions ‌to the Strait ‌of ⁠Hormuz caused by the ⁠Iran war.

The oil will be trucked overland ⁠and export ‌operations ‌would gradually increase ‌to ‌boost the Iraqi economy, the ministry added.

Reuters reported ‌in an exclusive on Tuesday ⁠that ⁠the land route, which Iraq has not used for decades, became its best option.

Arab World

Israel Expands Warnings to Hezbollah-linked Money Changers

Lebanese security personnel at the site of an Israeli strike targeting senior military commander Youssef Hashem in the Jnah area on the outskirts of Beirut (Reuters). 
Lebanese security personnel at the site of an Israeli strike targeting senior military commander Youssef Hashem in the Jnah area on the outskirts of Beirut (Reuters). 
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Israel Expands Warnings to Hezbollah-linked Money Changers

Lebanese security personnel at the site of an Israeli strike targeting senior military commander Youssef Hashem in the Jnah area on the outskirts of Beirut (Reuters). 
Lebanese security personnel at the site of an Israeli strike targeting senior military commander Youssef Hashem in the Jnah area on the outskirts of Beirut (Reuters). 

The Israeli army said it has killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Youssef Ismail Hashem, in a naval strike, as it widened its warnings in Lebanon to include individuals it accuses of handling the group’s finances.

The military described Hashem as Hezbollah’s “southern front commander”, adding he had more than 40 years of experience and was one of Hezbollah’s “major pillars”.

A security source told AFP that Hashem, also known as Sayyed al-Sadeq, was responsible for Hezbollah’s military and security file in Iraq and was killed in a strike on the Jnah area of Beirut. Lebanon’s health ministry said the attack killed seven people.

The source noted that Hashem “was in a meeting with other party members inside a tent near several vehicles” at the time of the attack.

A source close to Hezbollah confirmed the killing, describing him as “the most senior official targeted since the start of the war”. Hezbollah also announced the death of one of its members, Mohammad Baqer al-Nabulsi, who was killed in the same strike.

US sanctions

Hashem has been under US sanctions since 2018 for working for or on behalf of Hezbollah, according to the US Treasury.

The Treasury noted that he oversaw Hezbollah’s operational activities in Iraq and was responsible for protecting the group’s interests there.

It added that he managed relations with armed groups in Iraq, including coordinating the deployment of fighters to Syria.

Senior figure

Hashem is the most senior military figure killed since the start of the war, succeeding Ali Karaki, who was assassinated in an Israeli strike that targeted former Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024.

Israel had previously targeted lower-ranking commanders, including Hassan Salameh, head of Hezbollah’s “Nasr Unit”, who was killed on March 10.

According to Israeli media, Hezbollah’s southern front is divided into three sectors — the Nasr, Aziz and Badr units — which operate independently, with Hashem overseeing all three.

Warnings broadened

Israel has expanded its warnings in Lebanon to include “money changers working in the service of Hezbollah”.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that the military had targeted Hezbollah funding sources during the war, including the Al-Qard al-Hassan association and fuel networks.

“Another source that has been targeted is the network of money changers, which constitutes the main and most important financial source for this terrorist organization,” he added.

He named Mohammad Noureddine and Hussein Ibrahim as key money changers working for Hezbollah.

Addressing them directly, he said: “Due to your involvement in financing Hezbollah, the IDF warns you that continuing to fund Hezbollah puts you at risk.”

He also urged Lebanese citizens to avoid “any contact with Hezbollah money changers” and to “stay away from them” for their own safety.

Security zone plans

The intensified strikes come as Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “at the end of the operation, the Israeli army will establish a security zone inside Lebanon along a defensive line against anti-tank missiles”.

He added that Israel would maintain security control over the area up to the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border.

Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa condemned the remarks, saying they “no longer constitute mere threats, but reflect a clear intention to impose a new occupation of Lebanese territory”.

Arab World

US Embassy in Baghdad Warns of Attacks in City over Next 24-48 Hours

A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)
A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)
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US Embassy in Baghdad Warns of Attacks in City over Next 24-48 Hours

A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)
A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)

The US embassy in Baghdad warned Thursday that pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq may attack the city in the coming one or two days.

"Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours," the embassy said in a statement on X, again urging Americans in the country to leave immediately.