Thousands upon thousands of Syrians filled the streets of Damascus on Monday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Assad regime’s downfall.
The festivities took place a year after former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fled the capital, as rebel forces swept across the country in a swift offensive that ended five decades of Assad family rule and opened a new chapter history.
Since then, a wave of changes and historic firsts has reshaped Syria’s political landscape, culminating in a diplomatic breakthrough with the United States that saw [blank] President host interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa for an unprecedented White House visit.
The long-standing , considered the U.S.’s strictest sanctions on Syria since their 2019 enactment, is nearing rollback—with a full repeal included in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“Every Syrian is celebrating liberation and now celebrating the removal of the Caesar Act,” Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force who helped draft and name the original bill, told [blank] Digital in an interview.
“Caesar was shattering Syria’s economy and Syria’s future, even if everything else went well. And now, Syria has true hope. Today, with the first anniversary of liberation, the greatest gift that the Syrian people could have gotten is the lifting of the Caesar Act.”
Lawmakers are set to vote on the NDAA in the House this week.
As Syrians celebrate Assad’s ousting, the country now faces the daunting task of rebuilding—from reconstructing infrastructure and reviving the economy to seeking justice for families still waiting for answers about loved ones forcibly disappeared by the former regime.
Data from [blank] shows over 170,000 people remain forcibly missing in Syria between March 2011 and August 2025, with the vast majority held in former Assad regime detention centers.
Syria has also struggled with sectarian violence outbreaks this year, most notably in Sweida, where Druze militias, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and Syrian government forces clashed violently.
“There have been occasional clashes and atrocities. I note, and it’s interesting, that this new President Ahmed al-Sharaa has put on trial, publicly, on live television in Syria, more than a dozen security force members who are charged with such as extrajudicial killing and illegal detention and torture,” former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told [blank] Digital in an interview.
“If they are convicted and held accountable, that will be remarkable. All the more remarkable under the presidency of a man who used to be in al Qaeda.”
In July, [blank] formally revoked the foreign terrorist organization designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group once led by al-Sharaa.
Trump has met al-Sharaa—also known by the alias Abu Mohammed al-Jolani—three times since returning to the White House.
Despite al-Sharaa’s past, Trump has praised Syria’s new leader and urged Israel to maintain a “strong and true dialogue” with Damascus amid [blank] into southern Syria.
“We are doing everything within our power to make sure the Government of Syria continues to do what was intended, which is substantial, in order to build a true and prosperous Country,” Trump said in a December Truth Social post.
“It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State.”
Earlier this year, al-Sharaa called on Russia to hand over Assad—granted asylum in Moscow—to face justice for atrocities committed during his rule.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), a long-time advocate for the Syrian people and member of [blank], told [blank] Digital in a statement that Syria is ready for a new era.
“The progress we’ve seen in the year since the fall of dictator Assad is incredible. Syria has transformed from a Putin puppet and Iranian regime ally to a partner of the United States, joining the coalition against ISIS and removing Hezbollah, al-Qaeda, and ISIS. Led by Ambassador Tom Barrack, under President Trump, we have seized an historic opportunity by supporting the efforts of President al-Sharaa and lifting crippling sanctions on Syria,” Wilson said.
“There is progress to be made, but absent these bold and visionary actions to give Syria a chance, the country would descend into factionalized chaos to be exploited by terrorists. Syria has a rich, multi-ethnic, and religiously pluralistic history. The people suffered over half a century under sadistic socialist Assad.”