U.S. Treasury overhauls Syria sanctions, ends broad measures

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a wide-ranging update to its Syria sanctions regulations, ending the state of emergency associated with the Assad regime and lifting broad sanctions on the country, while maintaining measures against war criminals, human rights violators, and captagon trafficking networks.

24 September, 2025 23:49

NEWS DESK

Under the new update, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has renamed the “Syrian Sanctions Regulations” to the “Sanctions Regulations for Accountability on Assad and Regional Stability,” signaling a future U.S. policy shift toward holding individuals responsible for crimes and violations, rather than sanctioning the Syrian state as a whole.

The revisions include the termination of the emergency declared in 2004 against the former regime’s policies, and the lifting of blanket sanctions on Syria following the fall of the Assad government. At the same time, Washington has maintained sanctions targeting perpetrators of war crimes, human rights abusers, and captagon smuggling networks.

The updated regulations also stipulate the re-listing of certain individuals and entities should their involvement in violations be proven, while incorporating legislation such as the “Caesar Act” and the “Counter-Captagon Trafficking Act” as the legal foundation for future sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury stressed that the new policy aims to “strengthen individual accountability and support regional stability,” warning that deliberate violations of these regulations could result in criminal prosecution.

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ANHA