US lifts arms sales and military financing ban on Syria
A rule published in the Federal Register on September 16 removed Syria's remaining restrictions under the 1991 CBW Act on arms sales and military financing. The move comes ahead of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to the UN General Assembly.
RastinewsThe United States has taken another step toward lifting sanctions on Syria. A rule published in the Federal Register exempts Syria from the last two restrictions it faced under the 1991 Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act (CBW Act).
According to the rule, published September 16, the State Department's Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security determined on August 20 that enforcing the sanctions was no longer necessary for US national security interests.
What restrictions were lifted?
The first restriction had barred the United States from selling defense articles, defense services and design-and-construction services to Syria under the Arms Export Control Act. It also blocked licensing for exports to Syria of items on the US Munitions List.
The second restriction banned foreign military financing for Syria. With this rule, both remaining CBW Act sanctions on Syria have been eliminated.
A narrow exemption
The rule does not mean the US will sell any specific weapons system to Syria or provide military financing. The exemption applies only to the CBW Act sanctions that had prohibited such activity.
Nor have all US sanctions on Syria been lifted. The rule ends only the last restrictions under this particular law.
Ahead of al-Sharaa's New York visit
The rule's timing is notable: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to attend UN General Assembly meetings in New York. His talks with US officials during the visit are expected to cover Syria's economic recovery, investment and the future of relations between Washington and Damascus.
Sanctions relief began in 2025
US President Donald Trump set the broader sanctions relief process in motion with an order he signed in June 2025 lifting the wide-ranging sanctions program against Syria. The order stated that the conditions behind sanctions imposed over the former Assad regime's policies had changed, and directed relevant agencies to remove the economic sanctions.
In July 2025, the US lifted CBW Act restrictions on foreign aid to Syria, on US government-backed loans and financing, and on certain export controls.
The June 2025 order also called for a review of Syria's status on the list of state sponsors of terrorism and for sanctions tied to the former regime to be handled separately.