Trump Brand Sparks $12B Push to Rebuild Syria as Sanctions Fall

A New York Times investigation reports Syrian-born Al-Khayyat brothers secured about $12 billion in deals to rebuild Syria and sought permanent repeal of Caesar Act sanctions with help from U.S. lawmakers, leveraging ties to the Trump family and their circle, including Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The push culminated in a sanctions repeal tucked into a Pentagon spending bill signed by President Trump in December 2025, even as some lawmakers urged caution over minority protections in Syria. The story also traces related ventures, like Albanian resort plans involving Kushner and potential Syria projects, and notes the White House and the Khayyats deny improper influence. The piece highlights a broader pattern of policy decisions increasingly intertwined with private, sometimes celebrity-linked finance in the Trump era.