On October 1, 2026, the US Department of State published a final rule amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) to remove Syria from the list of countries subject to a policy of denial for licenses and other approvals for exports, imports of defense articles and defense services. The rule took effect on publication of the final rule, and the State Department will now adjudicate applications for licenses or other approvals involving Syria on…
President Trump signed the much-anticipated Russia (and Iran) sanctions bill into law on Friday, September 18, 2026. The final text of H.R. 5334 is available here. In Brief It has been a long journey since Senator Lindsey Graham introduced an earlier version of the bill in the Senate in April 2025. After Senator Graham passed away in July, a new Russia sanctions bill was introduced bearing his name, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and…
On August 24, 2026, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) launched Operation Economic Outcast, a campaign that OFAC has characterized as an “economic D-Day” against Iran. The action follows OFAC’s earlier “Economic Fury” campaign against Iran, on which we have previously reported here and here. OFAC stated these actions “mark the beginning of a sustained and systematic campaign to close every financial resource that supports the leading state sponsor…
On August 13, 2026, the Trump Administration introduced a combination of trade measures intended to expand export opportunities for US unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or drone) manufacturers while increasing incentives to source and produce drone technologies in the United States. The actions reflect a concerted approach to strengthen the US drone sector and address concerns about supply chain resilience and national security. Streamlined Export Controls The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security…