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1 [1] (June 11, 2026)

handle is hein.crs/goveunv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con res&onal Research Sen/c inknrnmg h I~g~ Itt~v deLi s~ c. 1.14 Updated June 11, 2026 Syria and U.S. Policy Syria is in the midst of a political transition shaped by the legacies of decades of authoritarian rule and more than a decade of unrest and conflict that displaced millions and killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians from 2011 through 2024. Ahmed Al Sharaa, whose movement ousted the Iran- and Russia-backed regime of Bashar al Asad (alt. Assad), leads Syria as president under a five-year transitional constitutional declaration developed with limited input from Syrian communities. Sharaa has renounced his former ties to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Asad fled to Russia. U.S. officials have cultivated ties with Sharaa and his partners, but questions persist about governance, security, foreign influence, and minority rights in the emerging new Syria. Transitional leaders have focused on reasserting security control over Syrian territory, securing relief from sanctions imposed during and before the conflict, pursuing regional and global diplomacy, attracting investment, and creating conditions for economic recovery and return of displaced persons. As of May 2026, an estimated 15.6 million Syrians were in need of humanitarian or protection assistance, 3.6 million Syrians were refugees in regional countries, and 5.9 million remained internally displaced. The World Bank in 2025 estimated Syria's post-conflict reconstruction needs at $216 billion. Security remains a principal U.S. and Syrian concern. U.S. military forces deployed to Syria in 2015 to fight Islamic State (IS/ISIS) militants in partnership with Syrian armed groups. U.S. forces withdrew from Syria in April 2026, as the Syrian government forcefully reasserted security control over areas held by Syrian Kurdish forces that had long received U.S. training and support. Episodic violence between government forces and members of ethnic and religious minority communities has marred the transition and attracted international scrutiny of the government's intentions and capabilities. As of mid-2026, Turkish forces operate in some areas of northern Syria with the permission of the Syrian government. Russian forces remain at facilities in western Syria, subject to ongoing Syrian- Russian discussions. Since December 2024, Israeli forces have conducted periodic strikes on Syrian government targets and have unilaterally asserted control over territory in Syria near the Golan Heights (Figure 1). Threats from the Islamic State and other extremist groups in Syria pose continuing risks to civilians and officials. Syrian leaders have condemned attacks by Iran and Iran-backed groups on Arab states during the 2026 U.S./Israel-Iran conflict. Since December 2024, multiple high-level engagements between senior U.S. and Syrian officials have focused on counterterrorism, regional security, and sanctions, including meetings between President Donald Trump and Sharaa. The executive branch and Congress have provided conditional sanctions relief for Syria and its transitional leaders. U.S. officials and Members of Congress continue to monitor Syria's transition, including implementation of agreements for the integration of former U.S. partner forces into Syria's security sector, as well as the transitional government's inclusiveness, posture toward neighboring countries, and treatment of ethnic and religious minorities. Congressional consideration of Administration requests for FY2027 defense and foreign assistance funds could provide opportunities for oversight and influence over resources and authorities shaping U.S. engagement. Congress also may consider proposals to further amend U.S. sanctions (S. 3172) on Syria and on Syrian groups and individuals. Figure I. Svria Source: CRS, using ESRI and U.S. State Department data. UNDOF- UN Disengagement Observer Force. Conflct Legaces Shape Transition Conflict in Syria destroyed communities, damaged infrastructure, displaced millions, fragmented territorial control, empowered extremists, eroded trust and cohesion, and attracted foreign military intervention. As the country transitions from decades of authoritarian rule, Syrians continue to grapple with these issues. Under the leadership since January 2025 of President Sharaa-the former head of the now-disbanded Sunni Islamist coalition Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS)-authorities have focused on reconstituting national security forces and extending the state's remit to areas that were initially outside of interim government control. Instances of sectarian violence involving members of minority communities, security forces, nonstate armed groups, and vigilantes have threatened stability. A five-year transitional constitutional framework, developed with limited popular consultation, is being implemented, and indirect elections for a national parliament that has yet to convene have been held in most areas. Years of war,