Syria removed from US arms export ban list

The United States has removed Syria from a list of countries banned from buying or importing US weapons as Washington continues to strengthen ties with the government in Damascus.

The US Department of State said on Wednesday that it was changing the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, to remove Syria from the list and allow US arms sales on a case-by-case basis.

“On August 19, 2026, the Secretary of State approved a new defence trade policy for Syria that would permit the review of defence article and defence service transfers to Syria on a case-by-case licensing basis,” the note, posted on the Federal Register Wednesday, reads.

“The Secretary directed the Department to codify this change by publishing an amendment to the ITAR removing Syria from the list of countries for which it is the policy of the United States to deny licenses and other approvals for exports and imports of defence articles and defence services destined for or originating in those countries.”

The change is the latest instance of the Trump administration easing previous restrictions placed on Syria during the decades-long rule of the al-Assad family, which ended with the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad by rebels in December 2024.

The country’s current president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has placed a strong focus on improving relations with the US and obtaining relief from economic sanctions that he says hinder the country’s path to recovery after years of devastating civil war. Al-Sharra is a former fighter who was aligned with Syria’s al-Nusra Front armed group.

The Trump administration, expressing optimism about its relationship with the new Syrian government, has gradually loosened a number of restrictions.

Trump eased some economic sanctions last year, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in August that the US was removing Syria’s designation as a “state sponsor of terrorism”.

The US also announced in February that it planned to eventually reopen its embassy in Damascus, which has been closed since 2012.