The U.S. Department of State has officially removed Syria from its designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. As a result, Syria is no longer subject to prohibitions under the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations. Alongside this change, the U.S. government revoked the designation of the al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization. Consequently, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed HTS from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List and revoked Syria General License 25.
In conjunction with these shifts, the U.S. Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury released an updated Tri-Seal Advisory regarding sanctions and export control relief for Syria. OFAC also updated several frequently asked questions related to the previous Syrian sanctions framework and removed existing guidance.
Regarding Iran, OFAC implemented several updates to its sanctions programs and the Specially Designated Nationals List. New designations were added to the SDN List, including individuals Saber Shahbazi Balujeh and Keyvan Fayyaz Gareh Blagh, as well as Cengiz Bekgoz, who is linked to the company Huzur Plastik Kimyevi Maddeler Ithalat Ihracat Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi. Additionally, OFAC published a determination under Executive Order 13902 targeting specific sectors of the Iranian economy, including aviation, digital assets, gold, shipping, and technology.
The Treasury Department also announced the suspension of certain Iran-related general licenses, specifically Iran General License F, which concerned professional and amateur sports activities, and Iran General License G, which pertained to academic exchanges and educational services. Both licenses are suspended through August 24, 2026. Furthermore, OFAC issued new licenses, including Iran General License AA for activities involving La Nivernaise De Raffinage SAS, and Iran General License BB to facilitate the wind-down of previously authorized transactions.
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