Syria remains on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism

The U.S. Department of the Treasury stated that the United States is suspending the remaining restrictions, including those under the Caesar Act, but confirmed that Syria continues to be designated as a “state sponsor of terrorism.”

The U.S. Treasury announced on Monday evening that “on November 10, the U.S. Secretary of State suspended the implementation of Caesar Act sanctions for a period of 180 days, reflecting our commitment to the ongoing lifting of sanctions against Syria.”

According to a report by Sputnik, the Treasury Department added, “This measure replaces the May 23 exemption from Caesar Act sanctions. The suspension halts the enforcement of Caesar Act sanctions except for certain transactions involving the governments of Russia and Iran, or the transfer of goods, technology, software, funds, financing, or services of Russian or Iranian origin.”

The Caesar Act is a U.S. law that sanctions the former Syrian government, including its president, Bashar al-Assad, on charges of committing “war crimes against the Syrian people.” The law was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in December 2019 and took effect on June 17, 2020.

However, the Treasury Department’s statement continued, “The U.S. government will continue to review Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.”

On Monday, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, head of the Syrian Interim Government, entered the White House to meet with Donald Trump. The meeting was held behind closed doors, without the presence of journalists or members of the press.

According to American media reports, al-Jolani left the White House shortly afterward without holding any joint press conference with President Trump.