US praises ‘significant steps’ in Syria’s transition as it marks 1st anniversary of Assad’s fall

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday marked one year since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, saying Syria had “turned a new page” and taken “significant steps” in its political transition.

“We honor the resilience of the Syrian people and reaffirm our support for a peaceful, prosperous Syria that includes its minorities and is at peace with all its neighbors,” Rubio said in a statement on the US social media company X’s platform.

The Republican and Democratic heads of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday also welcomed the repeal of Assad-era sanctions included in the annual defense bill, marking the first anniversary of the fall of Assad’s regime.

“The strength and resiliency of Syrians in the face of Assad’s repression—assisted by U.S. sanctions, Russia’s reduced ability to support Assad and Israel’s shared opposition to Iranian proxies—created the conditions for the regime’s collapse and a better future for the Syrian people,” Committee Chairman Jim Risch and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen said in a joint statement.

“We applaud the repeal of Assad-era Caesar Act sanctions included in the annual defense bill and look forward to its swift passage. On this hopeful anniversary, we remain committed to a stable, representative and prosperous Syria for all,” they added.

The senators said Syria’s new authorities have demonstrated a “serious commitment” to joint counterterrorism efforts, adding that the developments “provide a prospect for peace that was unthinkable just a year ago.”

But they cautioned that Syria still faces a “long road ahead,” urging Damascus to prevent a return to arbitrary detentions and sectarian violence, curb Russian and Iranian influence, destroy illicit drug and chemical weapons stockpiles and help locate missing Americans, including journalist Austin Tice.

The comments came as Congress moves to finalize the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains a full repeal of the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act.

It was named after an anonymous Syrian whistleblower who went by the pseudonym of Caesar as he publicized grave human rights abuses under the Assad regime.

The Trump administration previously suspended most enforcement of the sanctions through waivers but has pushed lawmakers to permanently remove the restrictions.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.