The Trump administration announced a significant policy shift on Friday, immediately easing long-standing economic sanctions against Syria. The Treasury Department confirmed the issuance of Syria General License (GL) 25, a move fulfilling President Trump’s promise earlier this month to roll back penalties against the war-torn nation.
The sanctions relief is directly tied to establishing a new Syrian government headed by Ahmad al-Sharaa and is intended to spur new investment and private sector activity.
Administration officials framed the decision as an effort to support Syria’s path towards stability and prosperity, free from the extensive sanctions imposed during the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad.
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“As President Trump promised, the Treasury Department and the State Department are implementing authorizations to encourage new investment into Syria,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Syria must also continue to work towards becoming a stable country that is at peace, and today’s actions will hopefully put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous, and stable future.”
GL 25 effectively lifts prohibitions under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, authorizing a wide range of transactions. This includes new investment across all sectors of the Syrian economy, the provision of financial and other services, and transactions related to Syrian-origin petroleum or petroleum products. The license also permits all transactions with the new Government of Syria and certain individuals previously blocked, as identified in an annex to the GL.
In conjunction with the Treasury’s action, the U.S. Department of State is issuing a waiver under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (Caesar Act). This waiver aims to enable foreign partners and allies in the region to also engage economically with Syria and “further unlock Syria’s potential.”
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Officials emphasized that this is part of a broader U.S. government strategy to dismantle the comprehensive sanctions architecture built in response to the actions of the Assad regime. The administration stated its commitment to “supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors.”
However, the sanctions relief comes with clear conditions. The U.S. government expects the new Syrian leadership to ensure the country does not become a safe haven for terrorist organizations and to protect its religious and ethnic minorities. The U.S. will continue to monitor Syria’s progress and developments on the ground.
Importantly, GL 25 is designed to specifically avoid benefiting terrorist organizations, perpetrators of human rights abuses and war crimes, drug traffickers, or the former Assad regime. Furthermore, it explicitly does not authorize transactions that would benefit Russia, Iran, or North Korea, which were key supporters of the previous government.
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To facilitate the reintegration of Syria into the global financial system, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is providing exceptive relief to permit U.S. financial institutions to maintain correspondent accounts for the Commercial Bank of Syria.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) plans to issue further guidance related to GL 25. Businesses and individuals with questions are directed to contact OFAC’s compliance hotline.
This move signals a potential turning point for Syria’s economic future and its relationship with the United States and the international community, contingent on the new government’s adherence to the outlined expectations.
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