On August 24, 2026, the US Department of State rescinded Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (“SST”) and revoked the designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (“HTS”), as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (“SDGT”). Concurrently, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) removed HTS from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (“SDN List”), revoked Syria General License 25 (“GL 25”), and updated…
On July 8, 2026, the US Department of State announced that President Trump had notified Congress of his administration’s intent to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (“SST”). The notification initiates a 45-day period that must elapse before the rescission takes effect. In the accompanying press statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that “[l]ifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open…
On 22 April 2026, the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (the “Syria Amendment Regulations”) came into force, amending the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the “Syria Sanctions”) to remove trade restrictions relating to luxury goods, gold, precious metals and diamonds. What have the Syria Amendment Regulations changed? The Syria Amendment Regulations have amended UK Syria Sanctions to remove the definitions of “gold, precious metals or diamonds” and “luxury goods” in their entirety.…
On February 18, 2026, the Government of Canada announced amendments to the Special Economic Measures (Syria) Regulations (“the Regulations”). These amendments lift broad economic prohibitions linked to the former Assad regime that had been in place since May 2011, easing restrictions on trade, investment, and the provision of financial and other services, including telecommunications monitoring and petroleum‑related transactions. The amendments also remove 24 entities and one individual from Schedule I of the Regulations to reduce…