Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday called on Congress to completely lift Caesar Act sanctions, which became US law during the rule of the deposed Bashar al-Assad.

Al-Sharaa praised President Donald Trump for taking a “bold decision” to lift all sanctions on Syria; however, he said there was still work needed from Congress.

“Sanctions cause a burden on the Syrian people who have all already suffered under the [Assad] regime,” al-Sharaa said during a panel at the Concordia Annual Summit.

The Syrian president is currently in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, where he will be the first Syrian leader to speak from the UN podium in over 60 years.

Syria was formerly designated as a state sponsor of terrorism by the US and several other countries.

Peace deal with Israel?
Talks have been taking place between officials from Damascus and Tel Aviv in recent weeks about the possibility of a deal to normalize ties. However, continuous Israeli attacks on Syria and its ongoing war against Palestinians in Gaza are making it difficult.

Al-Sharaa said a security agreement could unlock talks on future relations for now. But he stressed that Syria needs to be respected as well, noting disputes with Israel about its claims to the Golan Heights.

“The ball is now in Israel’s court as well as the international community,” he said. “Is Israel trying to expand, does it have expansionist plans, or is it truly security concerns?” he questioned. The Syrian president highlighted over 1,000 Israeli attacks and incursions since the overthrow of the Assad regime in December.

He said the first phase for a deal with Israel would be for it to withdraw to where its forces were. “If there are any security fears, there are mediators like the US that could allay these fears,” al-Sharaa added.