Resources
Comprehensive US and EU sanctions on Syria have been repealed. Nothing left requires blocking Syrians.
Rescission of Syria's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism
Press statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorizing the formal rescission of Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, following the conclusion of the mandatory 45-day Congressional notification period, together with the delisting of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The statement describes the two actions as eliminating the final major barriers to private sector investment in Syria (August 24, 2026)
U.S. Tri-Seal Advisory on Syria Relief
Joint Treasury, State and Commerce guidance for compliance teams, updated 24 August 2026 to record the rescission of Syria's State Sponsor of Terrorism designation and the removal of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. It is the single document summarising every U.S. sanctions and export-control step taken on Syria to date, and it states plainly that U.S. sanctions no longer act as a barrier to most business in Syria (updated August 2026)
EU Council renews measures on the former Assad regime and de-lists certain entities
The Council renews restrictive measures targeting the former al-Assad regime for one year and de-lists seven entities, including Syria's Ministries of Defence and Interior, reflecting the EU's calibrated easing toward the transitional authorities (May 2026)
Canada lifts Assad-era economic sanctions on Syria
Canada repeals broad import, export, investment, and financial services sanctions, delisting 24 entities including the Central Bank of Syria, Syrian Arab Airlines, and Syriatel (February 2026)
Repeal of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act
Section 8369 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (Public Law 119-60, 139 Stat. 1905) repeals the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 outright, replacing the earlier 180-day State Department waiver with permanent statutory repeal. A separate provision requires periodic presidential certifications on Syria, but these carry no automatic reimposition: if a certification cannot be made, the President may only consider targeted sanctions on individuals under existing authorities (signed December 18, 2025)
UK guidance on Syria for businesses and NGOs
Official UK government guidance on investing, trading, and operating in Syria after the April 2025 lifting of sanctions on energy, finance, aviation, and transport sectors (December 2025)
EU Sanctions FAQ: November 2025 Update on Syria
European Commission FAQ on the lifting of EU sectoral economic sanctions on Syria, covering banking, finance, energy, and transport (November 2025)
UN Security Council lifts sanctions on Syria's leadership
Resolution 2799 removes President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the interior minister from the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions list, ending the asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo that applied to them. It is the United Nations pillar of the sanctions rollback, alongside the U.S. and EU measures (November 6, 2025)
BIS Final Rule on Relaxing Export Controls for Syria
U.S. Commerce Department final rule that significantly relaxes export controls on Syria. It establishes License Exception SPP (Syria Peace and Prosperity), authorizes shipments of EAR99 items, and creates a presumption of approval for civil and commercial goods, including telecommunications equipment (effective September 2, 2025)
OFAC removes the Syrian Sanctions Regulations from the CFR
The U.S. Treasury's final rule striking the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 542) from the Code of Federal Regulations, implementing Executive Order 14312. This is the document that takes the rules off the books rather than suspending them, and it is the citation to give a compliance team that asks where the regulations went (effective August 26, 2025)
Executive Order 14312 on the Revocation of Syria Sanctions
President Trump's executive order ending the comprehensive U.S. sanctions program on Syria, which revokes six prior executive orders (signed June 30, 2025; effective July 1, 2025)
Switzerland lifts economic sanctions on Syria
Swiss Federal Council announcement lifting economic sanctions on Syria, including financial services, precious metals, and delisting 24 entities including the Central Bank of Syria (June 2025)
A New Digital Dawn for Syrian Tech Users
An Electronic Frontier Foundation analysis explaining what OFAC's General License 25 means for Syrian users' access to tech services. It offers a practical framework for tech companies weighing service restoration and confronts the over-compliance problem directly (June 2025)
EU adopts legal acts to lift economic sanctions on Syria
The Council has adopted legal acts lifting all economic restrictive measures on Syria
UK statutory guidance on the Syria sanctions regime
The UK government's statutory guidance on what the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 still prohibit after the April 2025 and April 2026 rounds of easing. It sits alongside the business-facing guidance already listed here and is the more precise citation for a compliance team working out exactly what remains in force
Australia eases Syria sanctions on financial and energy sectors
Official DFAT Syria sanctions framework outlining Australia's easing of autonomous sanctions on Syria's financial and energy sectors (November 2025)
OFAC Syria Sanctions FAQs
Official answers from the U.S. Treasury on what's permitted after the lifting of Syria sanctions
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