On August 24, 2026, the United States formally rescinded Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, marking a significant milestone in the Trump Administration’s efforts to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity and open the country to private-sector investment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced the delisting of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (“HTS”) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (“SDGT”) organization. He explained that these actions were taken in response to the positive steps taken by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the past year to combat terrorism, including formally joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and conducting operations against ISIS, al-Qa’ida, Hizballah, and Iran-aligned groups.
On the same day, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control removed HTS from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (“SDN List”) and revoked Syria General License 25, which had authorized certain transactions involving HTS in its role within the Syrian government and was no longer necessary. OFAC also removed FAQ 1223 and updated three frequently asked questions related to Syria sanctions compliance. FAQ 1220 explains how Executive Order 14312 effectively terminates OFAC’s Syria Sanctions Program; FAQ 1221 confirms that U.S. financial institutions can establish relationships with Syrian financial institutions; and FAQ 1222 confirms that companies no longer need specific licenses to export or reexport food or medicine to Syria. The Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury also issued an updated Tri-Seal Advisory on sanctions and export controls relief for Syria.
U.S. Secretary of State Press Statement | OFAC Recent Actions | Tri-Seal Advisory – Sanctions and Export Controls Relief for Syria