On July 23, 2026, the US Department of State designated multiple entities and individuals in Cuba, and the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued three new Cuba-related general licenses. The actions are intended to further restrict revenue streams supporting the Cuban government, including activities tied to the energy sector, sanctions evasion networks, financial services, and Cuba’s overseas medical missions program. The designations and general licenses were issued under Executive…
On July 20, 2026, the US State Department published Public Notice 13072 imposing additional sanctions on Sudan under Section 307(b) of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (the “Act”). The action follows the State Department’s April 24, 2025, determination under Section 306(a) of the Act, that the Government of Sudan used chemical weapons in violation of international law. Section 307(b) of the Act calls for additional sanctions unless the…
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 May 1, 2026, President Trump signed Executive Order 14404 (“EO 14404”) entitled “Imposing Sanctions on Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba and for Threats to United States National Security and Foreign Policy,” which significantly expands the US sanctions framework targeting Cuba. EO 14404 imposed a modern US secondary sanctions regime targeting Cuba that is likely to encourage many non-US companies – particularly those with US assets/business and/or reliance on the US financial system –…