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ARTICLE · 30 MAY 2025

Trump Administration Issues Sweeping Sanctions Relief For Syria

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On May 23, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Syria General License (GL) 25 to provide immediate sanctions relief for Syria...

SyriaInternational Law
Mahmoud (Mac) Fadlallah
Mahmoud (Mac) Fadlallah
Alexis G. Guinan
Alexis G. Guinan
Jasper Helder
Jasper Helder
Nnedinma Ifudu Nweke
Nnedinma Ifudu Nweke
Chiara Klaui
Chiara Klaui
Jason Prince
Jason Prince
Melissa Schwartz
Melissa Schwartz
Wynn Segall
Wynn Segall
Lauren Talerman
Lauren Talerman
+7 more
Author LinkedIn connections

Ziad El Oud, Ben Richmond

Key Points

  • On May 23, 2025, OFAC issued Syria GL 25, which authorizes a wide range of transactions otherwise prohibited by the SySR and other authorities affecting trade with Syria.
  • Subject to certain exclusions, GL 25 includes (1) a broad lifting of the SySR prohibitions on U.S. person involvement in the provision of services to Syria, new investment in Syria, and transactions related to Syrian-origin petroleum or petroleum products; and (2) a more targeted lifting of sanctions on certain Syria-related "blocked persons" (including entities owned or controlled by the "Government of Syria").
  • Unlike GL 24, which OFAC issued in January 2025 shortly after the fall of the Assad regime, GL 25 does not have an expiration date. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that GL 25 is designed to "encourage new investment into Syria," "support the new Government of Syria" and "put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous, and stable

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