Brack: The cancellation of 'Caesar' is a step towards comprehensive peace.. and Syria deserves a new chance

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Tom Brack confirmed that Syria still represents the "missing piece of peace" in the region's map, despite the major transformations it has witnessed since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's regime last December.

"The Middle East is facing a historic opportunity"

In a lengthy article published by Brack on his account on the X platform titled "Syria and Lebanon: The Next Step Towards Comprehensive Peace in the Middle East," he explained that October 13, 2025, marked a turning point in the region's diplomacy, where world leaders gathered in Sharm El-Sheikh to support U.S. President Donald Trump's twenty-point vision for rebuilding the Middle East, achieving shared prosperity, and ending the war in Gaza.

Despite the progress made, Brack emphasized that "comprehensive peace" cannot be completed without the stability of Syria and Lebanon, clarifying that Syria, after years of war, has become a symbol to test the resilience of the new regional order, and that "no fabric of peace can be complete while one of the world's oldest civilizations remains engulfed in destruction."

The cancellation of 'Caesar' and the beginning of a new phase

The U.S. envoy noted that the U.S. Senate showed courage and foresight when it voted to repeal the Caesar Act, considering that the law served its moral purpose in confronting the former regime, but today it "suffocates a nation seeking to rise again."

Brack called on the House of Representatives to take the same step, to restore "the rights of Syrians to work, trade, and hope," affirming that the new Syria, after December 8, 2024, is no longer Syria of 2019, as the new government has begun a path of reconciliation and restoring relations with neighboring countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, and has engaged in border discussions with Israel.

A shift from sanctions to partnership

Brack revealed that President Trump announced from Riyadh on May 13, 2025, his intention to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria, in a shift he described as "historic from coercion to cooperation."
He added that this commitment turned into actual policy on June 30, 2025, when an executive order lifted most sanctions effective July 1, representing a clear transition in U.S. policy from punishment to partnership, and sending a reassuring message to investors and allies that Washington today supports reconstruction, not restriction.