Overview
UN Sanctions
In 2005, by UN Resolution 1636 (still in force today), the UN imposed travel bans and asset freezes on people suspected of being involved in the 14 February 2005 terrorist bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, in which Syria was implicated by a UN report.
EU Sanctions
The EU implemented the UN’s travel ban and asset freeze sanctions in 2005 by Common Position 2005/888/CFSP and Council Regulation (EC) No 305/2006. In 2011, the EU established an EU autonomous sanctions regime in response to the Syrian government’s violent repression of civilians. Following the fall of the al-Assad regime, the EU lifted most of its sanctions against Syria.
The current EU sanctions are in Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP and Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012.
UK Sanctions
UK sanctions are in the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
US Sanctions
Syria has been designated by the US on the State Sponsor of Terrorism List since December 1979, which results in a ban on defence exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions.
Additional import and export controls were introduced in May 2004 by the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, and assets freezes were imposed in 2011. Current US sanctions are contained within EO 13894, consisting of an arms embargo, assets freeze, and travel bans.
In May 2025, the US eased sanctions measures through issuing Syria General License (GL) 25.
Current UN Sanctions
In 2005, by UN Resolution 1636 (still in force today), the UN imposed travel bans and asset freezes on people suspected of being involved in the 14 February 2005 terrorist bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, in which Syria was implicated by a UN report.
Current EU Sanctions
Current EU sanctions are set out in Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP and Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012.
Following the fall of the al-Assed regime in December 2024, the EU lifted most of its Syria sanctions. Economic sanctions based on security grounds (e.g. trade sanctions relating to military items, Syrian cultural property goods, and internet/communications monitoring), and sanctions relating to the al-Assad regime, chemical weapons and illicit drug trade remain.
The EU designates people who are:
- responsible for violent repression against the civilian population in Syria
- benefit from/support the former al-Assad regime
- leading businesspersons operating in Syria linked to the former al-Assad regime
- members of the al-Assad or Makhlouf families
- Syrian Government Ministers in power between May 2011 and December 2024
- members of the Syrian Armed Forces of the rank of “colonel” and the equivalent or higher in post between May 2011 and December 2024
- members of the Syrian security and intelligence services in post between May 2011 and December 2024
- members of al-Assad regime-affiliated militias; or
- members of entities, units, agencies, bodies or institutions operating in the chemical weapons proliferation sector
- Legislation
- Sanctions List
- Guidance
- Judgments
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T-420/23 Al Assad v Council
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T-370/23 Al-Assad v Council
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T‑209/22 Makhlouf v Council
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T‑208/22 Makhlouf v Council
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T-207/22 Mhana v Council
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T-206/22 Makhlouf v Council
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T‑649/22 Shammout v Council
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T-471/22 Anbouba v Council
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C‑524/22 Foz v Council
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T-426/21 Assaad
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T-479/21 Haswani
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T-296/20 Foz
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T-249/20 Sabra
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T-256/19 Assi
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T-257/19 Al Zoubi
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T-258/19 Foz
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T-259/19 Aman Dimashq JSC
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T-218/20 Alkattan
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T-203/20 Al-Imam
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T-540/19 Sharif
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T-260/19 Al-Tarazi
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T-521/19 Haswani
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T-189/19 Haikal
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T-178/19 Kalai
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C-157/19 P Makhlouf
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C-350/19 P Souruh SA
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C-349/19 P Almashreq Investment Fund
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C-348/19 P Drex Technologies
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C-261/19 P – Cham Holdings
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C-260/19 P Bena Properties
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C-159/19 P Syriatel Mobile Telecom
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C-158/19 P Othman
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T-510/18 Kaddour
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C-241/19 P Haswani
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T-186/19 Zubedi
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C-540/18 HX
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T-5/17 Sharif
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T-414/16 Drex Technologies SA
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T-440/16 Souruh SA
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T-415/16 Almashreq Investment Fund
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T-667/17 Alkarim for Trade and Industry LLC
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T-559/17 Abdulkarim
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C-313/17 P Haswani
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T-412/16 Bena Properties
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T-413/16 Cham Holding
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T-477/17 Haswani
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T-409/16 Makhlouf
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T-416/16 Othman
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T-411/16 Syriatel Mobile Telecom
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T-408/16 HX
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C-458/17 P Makhlouf
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T-461/16 Kaddour
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T-410/16 Makhlouf
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T-303/15 Barqawi
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T-304/15 Abdulkarim
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T-719/14 Tri Ocean Energy
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T-830/14 Farahat
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T-709/14 Tri-Ocean Trading
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T-790/14 Hassan
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T-723/14 HX
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C-193/15 P Akhras
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T-443/13 Makhlouf
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T-153/15 R Hamcho
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T-154/15 R Jaber
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T-155/15 R Kaddour
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T-593/11 Al-Chihabi
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C-605/13 P Anbouba
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C-630/13 P Anbouba
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T-652/11 Sabbagh
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T-579/11 Akhras
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T-509/11 Makhlouf
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T-654/11 Kaddour
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T-43/12 Hamcho & Hamcho International
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T-653/11 Jaber
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T-307/12 Mayaleh
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T-572/11 Hassan
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T-329/19 Al-Tabbaa
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T-203/12 Alchaar
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T-293/12 Syria International Islamic Bank
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T-202/12 Al Assad
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T-174/12 Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank
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T-383/11 Makhlouf
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T-563/11 Anbouba
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T-592/11 Anbouba
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T-572/11 R II Hassan
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T-572/11 R Hassan
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T-593/11 R Al-Chihabi
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T-579/11 R Akhras
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Current UK Sanctions
UK sanctions are in the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
- Legislation
- Sanctions List
- Guidance
- Judgments
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Nassani & Ors, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth And Development Affairs [2023] EWHC 2853 (Admin)
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R (Certain Underwriters at Lloyds London & Ors) v HM Treasury [2020] EWHC 2189 (Admin)
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Hmicho v Barclays Bank [2015] EWHC 1757 (QB)
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Current US Sanctions
Syria has been designated by the US on the State Sponsor of Terrorism List since December 1979, which results in a ban on defence exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions.
Additional import and export controls were introduced in May 2004 by the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, and assets freezes were imposed in 2011. Current US sanctions are contained within EO 13894, consisting of an arms embargo, assets freeze, and travel bans.
In May 2025, the US eased sanctions measures through issuing Syria General License (GL) 25, which authorises:
- all transactions otherwise prohibited by the US’ Syria Sanctions Regulations, other than transactions involving sanctioned people/entities
- all transactions prohibited by the Syria Sanctions Regulations, the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators Sanctions Regulations, the Iranian Financial Sanctions Regulations, the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, the Foreign Terrorist Organizations Sanctions Regulations, or Executive Order 13574 involving the following sanctioned people/entities:
- the Syrian Government (as it exists on/after 13 May 2025)
- blocked people/entities listed in the annex to the GL
- any entity of which 50% or more is owned directly/indirectly by a person/entity listed in the annex to the GL
- Legislation
Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act of 2019
Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012
EO 13894 – Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Syria (October 14, 2019)
- Sanctions List
Search “Syria” on the OFAC SDN List
- Guidance
Frequently Asked Questions for Syria General License 25 (May 28, 2025)
Guidance for the Provision of Humanitarian Assistance to Syria (August 8, 2023)
Guidance to Address Illicit Shipping and Sanctions Evasion Practices (May 14, 2020)
Non-English Translations of this Guidance
Updated Guidance on Sanctions Risks Related to Shipping Petroleum to Syria (March 25, 2019)?
Sanctions Risks Related to Shipping Petroleum to Syria? (November 20, 2018)
- Resolutions
Syria-related General License 1 – Official Business of the United States Government
- Judgments
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Government Accountability Project v U.S. Department of Treasury, Civil Action No. 2020-2138 (D.D.C. 2025)
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Other Countries Sanctions
- Judgments
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Kuvera Resources Pte Ltd v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA [2023] SGCA 28
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Kuvera Resources Pte Ltd v JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA [2022] SGHC 213
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