On July 8, 2026, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, President Donald Trump announced his intention to remove Syria from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, a significant move that would assist Syria’s efforts to re-engage in the global political and financial systems and rebuild the country after more than a decade of civil war. Shortly thereafter, the State Department issued a statement confirming that President Trump had informed Congress of the administration’s intent to rescind Syria’s designation, following a 45-day pre-notification period. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that, “Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people.”
This announcement comes after a series of other actions to provide relief to Syria following the overthrow of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in December 2024. For more information on the steps taken by the U.S. government to relax controls and remove sanctions on Syria see the following Thompson Hine SmarTrade updates:
- OFAC Issues Syria General License Addressing Sanctions Relief for Syrian People (January 9, 2025)
- Treasury Relaxes U.S. Economic Sanctions on Syria (May 27, 2025)
- President Trump Announces Revocation of Syria Sanctions and Waiver of Other Sanctions and Export Controls (July 3, 2025)
- OFAC Removes the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (codified at 31 C.F.R. Part 542) (August 27, 2025)
- Department of Commerce Relaxes Export Controls for Syria (September 3, 2025)
- OFAC Amends Remaining Syria-Related Sanctions Regulations (September 25, 2025)
- Federal Government Issues Tri-Seal Advisory on Sanctions and Export Controls Relief for Syria (November 18, 2025)
And, importantly, on December 18, 2025, President Trump signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 that included a section repealing the Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act of 2019. This Act sanctioned foreign persons who knowingly provided significant financial, material, or technological support to the Government of Syria.
Rescission of the designation as a state sponsor of terrorism should lead to further rescissions of restrictions that follow such a designation including:
- Removal of antiterrorism (AT) export controls on the Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS) Commerce Control List.
- Removal of the ban on the export of defense articles and services to Syria.
- Removal of restrictions on U.S. foreign aid to Syria.