US REMOVES SYRIA FROM ARMS EXPORT BAN LIST

The US Department of State has removed Syria from a list of countries barred from buying or importing American weapons, it said on Wednesday. The change amends the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, according to a notice published in the Federal Register. It means US arms sales to Syria will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis rather than automatically refused. The department said the Secretary of State approved a new defence trade policy for Syria on 19 August 2026, permitting such reviews. Wednesday's notice codifies that policy by taking Syria off the list of countries for which licences are routinely denied.

Syria had been on the list since the al-Assad family's decades-long rule, which ended when rebels ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Syria's current president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has sought closer ties with Washington and relief from economic sanctions, which he says hinder the country's recovery from civil war. Al-Sharaa was previously a fighter aligned with Syria's al-Nusra Front armed group. The Trump administration has said it is optimistic about relations with the Syrian government and has gradually eased other restrictions on the country. Wednesday's change is the latest in that series of adjustments.

The amendment means US defence exports and imports involving Syria will now be assessed individually rather than blocked outright. It follows other recent moves by Washington to ease restrictions on Damascus as the two countries work to rebuild ties. No timetable was given for when case-by-case licensing decisions on Syria would begin. Syria's president has also warned that Israeli strikes risk endangering the country's post-war recovery, and Syria has arrested five former al-Assad-era officers over strikes on civilians.