Syria's Assad says new U.S. sanctions are part of drive to 'choke' Syrians

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad addresses the new members of parliament in Damascus, Syria in this handout released by SANA on August 12, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Wednesday that sweeping new U.S. sanctions amounted to a new stage of economic warfare against his government and were part of long-standing U.S. efforts to "choke" the living standards of Syrians.

In a speech to deputies at the presidential palace, Assad also blamed the sanctions, known as the Caesar Act, for a fall in Syria's currency to new record lows, with panic buying of dollars by Syrians worried about their economic situation.