US lifts some Syria sanctions, keeps curbs on Iran and Russia business
The United States on Monday suspended sanctions on Syria for 180 days except for certain transactions involving Iran and Russia, according to a statement by the Treasury.
The United States on Monday suspended sanctions on Syria for 180 days except for certain transactions involving Iran and Russia, according to a statement by the Treasury.
The announcement came as President Donald Trump hosted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House for landmark talks, the first visit by a Syrian president to Washington.
The Treasury order replaced a May 23 waiver and effectively extends the suspension of some of the toughest US sanctions on Syria.
The department said the move signaled its "commitment to continued sanctions relief for Syria,” while maintaining restrictions linked to Iran and Russia.
"The suspension halts the imposition of sanctions pursuant to the Caesar Act except for certain transactions involving the governments of Russia and Iran, or the transfer of provisions of Russian-origin or Iranian-origin goods, technology, software, funds, financing, or services," the Treasury said.
The 2019 Caesar Act aimed at cutting financial support to the former government and entities tied to abuses during the civil war that began in 2011.
Sharaa’s visit marked a turnaround for the former Islamist commander who toppled longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Iran, in December and has since sought to rebuild relations with Western and regional governments.
The White House meeting followed Washington’s decision to remove Sharaa from the US list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
A report by Reuters citing an unnamed US official said removing the remaining Syria sanctions, including the Caesar Act, would require congressional action, which the administration would support.
“Almost all underground and under-mountain missile infrastructure remains intact and has no serious problems,” Gholamreza Jalali said, crediting long-running operational measures and engineering choices.
The priority given to aerospace and missile assets, Jalali said, guided 20 years of planning for missile cities and depots built into mountains and deep underground. Only minor repairable damage occurred at some access points, he added.
Underground networks and nuclear sites
Sensitive nuclear centers, Jalali said, were placed in safe spaces after early threat assessments, adding that he personally proposed the protected design concept years ago.
“The shadow of war was present from the very beginning of our activities, and based on the threat scenarios, it was decided that sensitive nuclear sites should be designed in secure underground locations beneath mountains.”
During the 12-day war and the US attacks on nuclear facilities, added Jalali, some foreign reports highlighted the confrontation between “bunker buster bombs” and Iranian concrete engineering. “It was an oversimplified interpretation of designs."
“Regarding the US claim of destroying nuclear facilities, it must be said that further details remain classified and confidential,” he added.
Banks cyber security not addressed yet
Jalali pointed to cyber-attacks on Iranian banks, saying two major banks shared a core platform with unresolved weaknesses. “For banking security, we designed a regional secure model and obtained funding, but execution rests with the relevant bodies,” he said.
During the June conflict, Iran’s Bank Sepah and Bank Pasargad were hit by major cyberattacks that disrupted online banking and ATM services.
Jalali also addressed the use of foreign messaging platforms by military figures, saying none of Iran’s commanders, living or dead, had ever used WhatsApp, while reports suggested some Hamas leaders had relied on it.
Advanced surveillance and data-analysis systems – spanning artificial intelligence, satellites, and signal tracking – are fully controlled by Israel and the United States, he said, adding that using such platforms exposes communications to monitoring and targeting.
“When we are in confrontation with such adversaries, we must assume total visibility across digital space.”
Former communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said in August that Iranian officials with sensitive information on their phones were easy targets for Israeli cyber operations during June's 12-day war, adding that Israel exploited platforms such as WhatsApp to track them.
“In the recent war, those who had information and were of interest to Israel were easy prey for hacking,” Azari Jahromi said, but did not identify those targeted.
Shelters kept confidential
Tehran has multiple shelter options, including metro stations, car parks, and basements, but officials avoided announcing them publicly to prevent panic, he added.
Local authorities received training to guide people in emergencies, while Tehran Municipality was working to upgrade facilities and warning systems for possible use as public shelters, according to him.
Iran had fully expected attacks on its nuclear facilities and launched a plan to prepare, he added.
Limited drills in Kashan and broader exercises at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan helped minimize risks, Jalali said, adding that chemical storage was cleared and activities scaled back before strikes, and post-attack tests confirmed no radioactive contamination.
