US President Donald Trump signed the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act at the end of 2019. The law took effect on 1 June and includes sanctions affecting almost every aspect of the Syrian economy. The sanctions list was expanded on 17 June, and 14 high-profile people in the nation were affected, including the spouse of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Asma Assad, and the president's sister Bushra Assad, as well as 21 organizations.
"The Syrian people and the army, which have shown historical resilience against the American project, defending their sovereignty... this people will resist their sanctions with the same stubbornness that they fought terrorism," the ministry said.
"Washington’s statements are the most blatant manifestation of lies to cover up their terror, which shed the blood of Syrians," it said.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced introducing 39 new sanction designations against Syria, targeting the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, and his wife, Asma, and Assad's brother and top general, Maher al-Assad, among others, all under the Caesar Act, signed by Trump in December 2019.
"Today, the Treasury Department and State Department are releasing 39 designations under the Caesar Act and Executive Order 13894 as the beginning of what will be a sustained campaign of economic and political pressure to deny the Assad regime revenue and support it uses to wage war and commit mass atrocities against the Syrian people," Pompeo said. "We are designating the architect of this suffering Bashar Al-Assad and his wife Asma al-Assad."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Tuesday that US sanctions would not affect cooperation between Moscow and Damascus, including military - in the fight against terrorism in Syria.