A final rule published on Friday 25 September deletes a Syria-specific licence that became redundant when Washington ended Syria's 47-year designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. What changed, what still applies, and who it affects.
The US Treasury has taken Syria out of the last corner of its terrorism-list sanctions rulebook. A final rule from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), published in the Federal Register on Friday 25 September 2026 and effective the same day, deletes a general licence that applied only to Syria.
What the new rule does
The rule removes and reserves section 596.505 of the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations. That section was a Syria-specific general licence, a standing authorisation written for a country that sat on Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. OFAC’s reasoning is brief: the Government of Syria is no longer a Terrorism List Government under the regulations, so the licence has nothing left to do.
The document runs to two pages, carries the citation 91 FR 60825, and is signed by OFAC Director Bradley T. Smith. It creates no new obligations for anyone. In practice, it is the paperwork catching up with a decision made a month ago.
The decision behind it: 47 years on the list, now over
Syria was designated a state sponsor of terrorism on 29 December 1979, under Hafez al-Assad. On 8 July 2026, President Donald Trump certified to Congress that the Syrian government had given no support to international terrorism in the previous six months and had provided assurances that it would not do so in future.
Once the mandatory 45-day congressional review passed without objection, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded the designation with effect from 24 August 2026. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham was removed from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist list on the same day.
Friday’s rule is one of the closing steps in a rollback that began after Syria’s liberation in December 2024:
- 30 June 2025: a US executive order ends comprehensive sanctions on Syria, effective 1 July.
- 25 August 2025: OFAC removes the Syrian Sanctions Regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations.
- 2 September 2025: the Commerce Department eases export controls and introduces License Exception Syria Peace and Prosperity (SPP), which covers most everyday goods.
- 18 December 2025: the Caesar Act is repealed through the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026.
- 24 August 2026: Syria’s state sponsor of terrorism designation is rescinded.
- 25 September 2026: OFAC deletes the Syria-specific terrorism-list licence.
Which Syria sanctions are still in place
Ending country-wide sanctions was never the same as ending all of them. Three layers remain.
- Targeted sanctions on individuals. Under OFAC’s programme now called Promoting Accountability for Assad and Regional Stabilization Sanctions (PAARSS), sanctions stay on Bashar al-Assad and his associates, human rights abusers, captagon traffickers, people linked to Syria’s past weapons proliferation, ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates, and Iran and its proxies.
- Export controls on sensitive goods. Most ordinary goods can be exported under License Exception SPP. Items with a specific export control classification still need a licence until the Commerce Department acts further, according to trade lawyers at Cleary Gottlieb.
- European and British measures. The EU and UK have rolled back their heaviest sanctions but, like the US, keep measures on Assad-era figures, arms embargoes and restrictions on dual-use exports.
For the full breakdown, see our guide to sanctions on Syria: what was lifted, and what remains.
What happens next
Coming off the terrorism list opens doors that general sanctions relief could not. It clears the way for Commerce to relax export controls further, restores Syria’s eligibility for US foreign aid, and ends the rule that obliged Washington to oppose Syrian membership of international financial institutions. It also starts a six-month window in which US victims of terrorism during the designation period can bring damages claims against Syria in US courts.
The timing fits a busy week for Syrian diplomacy. President Ahmed al-Sharaa addressed the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on 23 September and, while in New York, met representatives of US companies to discuss investment in Syria.
Legal permission and commercial reality do not move at the same speed, though. Banks and payment companies set their own risk policies, and those usually change more slowly than the law. How quickly they respond to this month’s changes is the thing to watch.
We will update this article if the Commerce Department announces further changes to export controls on Syria.
Worth knowing
This article explains a US regulatory change and is not legal or financial advice. If you plan to trade with or invest in Syria, check every counterparty against OFAC's sanctions list and take advice from a sanctions specialist. Sanctions and travel advice are separate matters: coming off the terrorism list does not change your own government's travel advice, which in many countries still advises against travel to Syria.
What this means for you
- If you are planning a trip: nothing changes at the border. Visas, flights and entry requirements are set by the Syrian authorities and the airlines, not by this rule, and your own government's travel advice still applies.
- If you are a Syrian abroad sending money home or managing property: most legal barriers on the US side are now gone, but each bank and transfer service sets its own policy. Ask your provider directly rather than assuming the change has reached them.
- If you are an investor or run a business: Syria's government is no longer treated as a terrorism-list government under US rules, which removes a major compliance hurdle. Screening for sanctioned individuals and checking export classifications for sensitive goods are still required.
Sources
- Office of Foreign Assets Control, "Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations," final rule, Federal Register, 91 FR 60825, 25 September 2026.
- US Department of State, rescission of Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, effective 24 August 2026 (91 FR 55965, 31 August 2026), as cited in the OFAC rule.
- Office of Foreign Assets Control, Promoting Accountability for Assad and Regional Stabilization Sanctions (PAARSS) programme page.
- Office of Foreign Assets Control, Frequently Asked Questions for Syria General License 25, updated 30 June 2025.
- Cleary Gottlieb, "U.S. Government Removes Syria From List of State Sponsors of Terrorism," Cleary Foreign Investment and International Trade Watch, July 2026.
- SANA, "U.S. Treasury updates sanctions rules after Syria's removal from terrorism list," 24 September 2026.
- Syria TV via The Syrian Observer, "Sharaa, U.S. Companies Discuss Investment in Syria and Economic Partnerships," 24 September 2026.
- Syria Now, reporting on President al-Sharaa's address to the UN General Assembly, 23 September 2026.
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