Since Thursday, Syria’s interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani has been in Washington for talks with senior officials from the State and Treasury Departments, as well as members of Congress. His agenda includes lobbying for the removal of U.S. sanctions, particularly the “Caesar Act,” which Damascus says obstructs investment and reconstruction.
Shibani’s visit precedes that of Syria’s transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who is expected in New York on Sunday to attend the U.N. General Assembly. Al-Sharaa will deliver a speech on September 24 and is scheduled to hold several meetings, including, according to CBS News, a possible encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with Shibani, alongside U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack. According to the statement, discussions focused on implementing the March 10 agreement between the Syrian transitional government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF); Syria–Israel relations; counterterrorism; and strengthening economic ties between Damascus and Washington.
Landau said Syria had a “historic opportunity to build a peaceful, prosperous, and sovereign state” following Trump’s decision to ease sanctions. The Syrian Foreign Ministry confirmed that bilateral relations and ways to enhance them were also discussed.
Later, Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Shibani raised the new Syrian flag over the embassy building in Washington, expressing optimism about the “complete lifting of U.S. sanctions, including the Caesar Act,” and the start of investment and reconstruction.
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Lifting sanctions remains the central focus of the visit. Damascus has pressed Congress to cancel the Caesar Act despite resistance from the House Rules Committee earlier this month, which rejected an attempt by Rep. Joe Wilson to attach repeal language to the upcoming defence budget. The proposal, however, remains alive in the Senate.
On Friday, Shibani met with lawmakers including Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Joe Wilson, Rep. Ibrahim Hamadeh, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, alongside eight other members of Congress. Talks cantered on Caesar sanctions, counterterrorism, and Syrian–Israeli relations.
Meetings with Treasury officials also addressed responsible and safe reintegration of Syria into the global financial system, according to a Treasury post on X. The department said the effort aimed to reinforce joint work against terrorist financing.
Beyond sanctions and financial issues, reports suggest that stabilizing southern Syria and reaching an agreement with Israel top the agenda. On Friday, Syria’s transitional President al-Sharaa told Turkish daily Milliyet that Damascus was “very close” to finalizing a U.S.-mediated security agreement with Israel, similar to the 1974 disengagement deal. He stressed, however, that this would not mean normalization or joining the Abraham Accords.
“Syria knows how to fight, but it no longer wants war,” al-Sharaa said, adding that Israel’s commitment remained uncertain. He also claimed that unrest in Suwayda had been deliberately staged to derail an earlier security arrangement.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) recently published a map outlining possible security arrangements for southern Syria. It proposes expanding the current buffer zone by two kilometres into Syrian territory; creating a second zone, off-limits to Syrian troops and heavy weapons but accessible to Syria’s interim government security forces; and declaring a third, larger area stretching toward Damascus as a no-fly zone.
The U.S. has already begun rolling back its sanctions. In late June, Trump signed an executive order lifting emergency measures first imposed in 2004. Officials said Syria’s government had taken “significant steps toward stability.” The move included a review of Syria’s status as a state sponsor of terrorism and instructed the State Department to reconsider its designation of armed jihadi group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which was led by Syria’s current interim president Ahmad Al-Sharaa..
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Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrians in the United States would soon expire, affecting around 6,000 beneficiaries and 1,000 pending applicants. Officials framed the decision as a return to “rational immigration policy,” arguing conditions in Syria no longer prevented returns.
