The US Congress has approved the repeal of sweeping Syria sanctions, a package devised to punish former dictator Bashar al-Assad, but which officials say is now hindering the fragile state’s efforts to recover after his ousting.
The repeal of the 2019 Caesar Civilian Protection Act, which broadly sanctioned any entity providing goods or services to the Syrian government, comes as part of the US government’s sprawling annual defence policy bill.
The House of Representatives last week passed the $900bn legislation, which authorises defence, foreign policy and intelligence spending across the government, and the Senate approved the bill on Wednesday. President Donald Trump is now expected to sign it into law.