United States lifts final arms sanctions on Syria

The United States has lifted the final two remaining arms-related sanctions on Syria imposed under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991. According to an official notice from the U.S. Department of State published in the Federal Register, the decision went into effect on September 16, 2026.

The exemptions remove restrictions on the sale of defense articles, services, and design/construction services, as well as the prohibition on issuing export licenses for items on the U.S. Munitions List to Syria. Additionally, the move lifts the ban on all forms of foreign military financing to the country. The U.S. Department of State noted that the exemption was deemed “necessary for the national security interests of the United States.”

This action is part of a broader series of steps to ease restrictions on Syria. In August 2026, the U.S. State and Treasury Departments removed Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and de-listed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as a specially designated global terrorist entity. The official notice clarified that while the legal barriers to arms sales and financing have been removed, the decision does not constitute an immediate commitment by the U.S. to sell weapons or provide military funding to Syria.