Bringing Syria back to the world

United States

• 23 May 2025Treasury General License 25 broadly authorizes transactions with Syria; Caesar Act sanctions waived.
• 30 Jun 2025Executive Order 14312 ends the Syria sanctions program, effective 1 July 2025.
• 8 Jul 2025HTS removed from the Foreign Terrorist Organization list.
• 2 Sep 2025Commerce eases export controls: everyday (EAR99) software and hardware can ship without a license.
• 18 Dec 2025Caesar Act repealed in the FY2026 defense bill (Public Law 119-60).
• 24 Aug 2026Syria removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, in place since 1979.
• 1 Oct 2026Syria removed from the ITAR arms-trade denial list; defense licenses reviewed case by case.

Still in place: Targeted sanctions on Assad associates, human-rights abusers, captagon traffickers and terrorist groups (PAARSS program). Some export-control licensing still applies to sensitive items.

European Union

• 24 Feb 2025Energy and transport sanctions suspended; Syrian Arab Airlines and four banks delisted.
• 28 May 2025Legal acts lift all economic sanctions except security-related ones; the Central Bank of Syria is delisted.
• 11 May 2026Full application of the 1977 EU–Syria Cooperation Agreement restored.
• 18 May 2026More entities delisted, including the Ministries of Defence and Interior.

Still in place: Asset freezes and travel bans on Assad-linked people; arms and internal-repression equipment bans; human-rights listings.

United Kingdom

• 6 Mar 202524 entities delisted, including the Central Bank, Commercial Bank and Syrian Arab Airlines.
• 25 Apr 2025Finance, energy, aircraft and currency sanctions removed in law.
• 21 Oct 2025Order laid to remove HTS from the list of proscribed organisations.
• 22 Apr 2026Remaining trade bans on gold, precious metals, diamonds and luxury goods revoked.

Still in place: Asset freezes and travel bans on designated people; export bans on military, chemical, repression and surveillance goods.

Canada

• 28 Feb 2025General permit allows humanitarian and stabilization activity.
• 5 Dec 2025Syria removed from the State Immunity Act list of state supporters of terrorism.
• 13 Feb 2026Trade, oil, investment and financial-services bans repealed; 24 entities delisted.

Still in place: Asset freezes on listed individuals; some export and chemical controls.

Switzerland

• 7 Mar 2025First easing, following the EU’s February suspension.
• 20 Jun 2025Financial-services, precious-metals and luxury-goods restrictions lifted; 24 entities delisted, including the Central Bank.

Still in place: Targeted sanctions on Assad-linked people and entities; military, repression and surveillance export bans.

Norway

• 2 Jul 2025Most sanctions lifted in Norwegian law, in line with the EU.

Still in place: Sanctions on key Assad-regime individuals.

Japan

• 30 May 2025Four Syrian banks delisted.
• 29 Sep 202616 entities delisted, including Syriatel, the Commercial Bank of Syria and two ministries.

Still in place: Asset freezes on 59 individuals and 15 entities.

Australia

• 11 Nov 2025Financial and energy sanctions suspended; two banks delisted.

Still in place: Arms, surveillance, luxury-goods and chemicals bans; asset freezes and travel bans on Assad-regime figures.

United Nations Security Council

• 6 Nov 2025Resolution 2799 removes President al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab from the ISIL/Al-Qaida sanctions list.
• 27 Feb 2026Sanctions committee removes HTS from the list.

Still in place: The ISIL/Al-Qaida regime continues for other listed people; cultural-property protections remain.

FATF (financial watchdog)

• 19 Jun 2026Syria remains under increased monitoring; FATF says its action plan is complete and an on-site visit is pending.

Still in place: Grey-list status until the on-site review. Syria is not on the blacklist.

World Bank

• 16 May 2025Saudi Arabia and Qatar clear Syria’s arrears, restoring eligibility.
• 25 Jun 2025$146 million electricity grant, the first World Bank project in Syria in almost 40 years.
• 7 Aug 2026$100 million grant to modernize the financial sector and payments.

International Monetary Fund

• 17 Nov 2025First staff visit to Damascus agrees a technical-assistance program.
• 4 Aug 2026Staff expect double-digit growth in 2026; annual economic reviews (Article IV) can resume.

Still in place: No lending program yet; legacy debt unresolved.