US Clears Path for Arms Exports to Syria After Terrorism Delisting
Washington will review defense trade requests involving Syria individually after ending its automatic denial policy. The October 1 change follows Syria’s removal from the U.S. terrorism list and does not approve a weapons sale.
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The U.S. on Thursday ended its blanket policy of rejecting arms-export requests involving Syria, opening the way for individual licensing decisions.
The change does not approve any particular weapons shipment, and no arms sale to Syria has been announced.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will now assess applications involving Syria separately.
The revision applies to defense exports destined for Syria and imports originating in the country.
Terrorism Designation Removed
Ending Syria’s terrorism designation was the central legal prerequisite for changing its treatment under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, known as ITAR.
Syria had held that designation since December 29, 1979. President Donald Trump notified Congress on July 8 that he intended to rescind it.
His certification stated that the Syrian government had provided no support for international terrorism during the previous six months and had pledged against doing so in the future.
The designation ended on August 24, following the required 45-day congressional review.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited “positive actions” and commitments from President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government to separate Syria from international terrorism.
Licensing Replaces Automatic Rejection
Rubio approved the defense trade policy revision on August 19 and instructed the department to incorporate it into the regulations.
The resulting rule, issued under Public Notice 13131, removes Syria from the comprehensive denial table in ITAR § 126.1(d)(1).
It was submitted for public inspection on September 30 before taking effect the following day.
Seven countries remain in that table: Belarus, Myanmar, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela.
Other legal restrictions also had to be addressed. Washington used waivers or terminated measures imposed under the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act, and the Child Soldiers Prevention Act.
The remaining arms-sale and foreign-military-financing restrictions under the chemical and biological weapons law were terminated around mid-September.
Future transfers would still require licensing and end-use checks, alongside the applicable interagency and congressional review procedures.
Wider Easing of Restrictions
The revision extends Washington’s easing of restrictions following Bashar al-Assad’s removal from power in December 2024.
The Trump administration had already taken steps in 2025 to lift broad economic sanctions inherited from the Assad period.
Washington has also indicated plans to reopen its embassy in Damascus after roughly 14 years of closure.
Cuba, Iran and North Korea remain on the U.S. State Sponsor of Terrorism list.
Ahmet Koçak
Ahmet Koçak is a news editor at Clash Report based in Istanbul. He previously served as Deputy Managing Editor at Türkiye Today, helping launch the digital news platform in 2023, and spent three years as Senior Editor at Daily Sabah. His work focuses on breaking news, geopolitics, international affairs, and digital journalism.
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