WASHINGTON – The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday issued a sweeping license effectively lifting many of the sanctions imposed on Syria, following a directive from President Donald Trump to end the punitive measures and support the country’s transitional administration.
In a statement, the Treasury’s Office said License No. 25 permits transactions previously prohibited under U.S. sanctions, opening the door to private-sector engagement and foreign investment across Syria’s economy.
The move reflects a broader shift in Washington’s Syria policy under Trump, who announced the sanctions relief during a recent visit to Riyadh, saying it came at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Entities now exempt from sanctions include Syria’s transitional government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, Interior Minister Anas Khattab, the Central Bank of Syria, Syrian Airlines, and several state-owned oil, gas, and financial institutions. Strategic infrastructure such as the ports of Latakia and Tartous and Syria’s national broadcasting authority were also delisted.
“The Assad regime’s brutality against its own people and support for terrorism in the region has come to an end, and a new chapter unfolds for the Syrian people.” the Treasury said, signaling a new chapter in U.S.-Syrian relations.
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The decision also includes an exemption from the Caesar Act, a 2019 law that imposed broad economic penalties on Syria to deter support for the former Assad regime. The 180-day waiver, signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, aims to promote investment and humanitarian activity in energy, water, and healthcare sectors.
Treasury officials emphasized that the new license supports Syria’s economic recovery without compromising security: “GL 25 will facilitate activity across all sectors of the Syrian economy, without providing relief to terrorist organizations, perpetrators of human rights abuses and war crimes, drug traffickers.” Furthermore, the statement clarified that the easing excludes entities linked to the former Assad regime, Russia, Iran, North Korea.
The license is part of a broader policy pivot as the U.S. government signals openness to Syria’s reconstruction and reintegration, provided the new authorities maintain a break from the Assad-era policies and ensure religious and ethnic minority protections.
