On May 23, 2025, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Syria General License (GL) No. 25 relaxing sanctions against the Government of Syria and twenty-eight (28) previously blocked Syrian entities and persons. GL 25 authorizes transactions that would otherwise be prohibited under the U.S. economic sanctions on Syria, including new investment in Syria; the provision of financial and other services to Syria; and transactions related to Syrian-origin petroleum or petroleum products. This general license does not authorize any transactions with individuals or entities that remain on OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List or the unblocking of any blocked property.
In a press release, Treasury stated that this was a “first step” in providing relief for Syria in line with President Donald Trump’s announcement for the cessation of all sanctions on Syria. OFAC has also issued a set of FAQs to provide further guidance related to GL 25.
It should be noted that this General License impacts only the Syrian Sanctions Regulations under 31 C.F.R. Part 542 and under the control of OFAC. Certain statutory export controls and restrictions currently remain in place under the control of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).