Treasury and State Departments Deliver Additional Sanctions Relief on Syria
WASHINGTON—In line with President Trump’s promise to deliver sanctions relief to Syria, the U.S. Department of State today rescinded Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and revoked the designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organization. Concurrently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed HTS from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (“SDN List”).
“Treasury is following through on President Trump’s promise to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Today’s action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability.”
Today’s action builds on the Department of State’s revocation of HTS’s designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on July 8, 2025. For a summary of U.S. sanctions and export control relief for Syria to date, please refer to the Tri-Seal Advisory published by U.S. Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and State.
As a result of today’s action, HTS is no longer blocked pursuant to the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 594, or Executive Order 13224, as amended. U.S. persons do not require authorization from OFAC to engage in transactions or activities with HTS, provided such activities do not involve blocked persons or otherwise prohibited activities.
The decision today to remove these restrictions on Syria does not change Treasury’s posture with regards to countering global terrorism and our commitment to hold bad actors in Syria accountable. Concurrently with the removal of HTS as an SDGT, OFAC is designating two former HTS affiliates who continue to support al-Qa’ida and Hurras al-Din, respectively. These two designations ensure appropriate measures are taken against terrorist financing threats and to further safeguard the stability and security of Syria.
Today’s designations are being taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, which targets terrorist groups and their supporters. The U.S. Department of State designated al-Qa’ida as a Foreign Terrorist Organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act on October 8, 1999. On September 25, 2001, the President identified al-Qa’ida as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in the annex of E.O. 13224. On September 10, 2019, the Department of State designated Hurras al-Din, al-Qa’ida’s affiliate in Syria, as an SDGT.
Sa’d Bin Sa’d Muhammad Shariyan al-Ka’bi (al-Ka’bi) supervised the provision of financial and logistical support for terrorist groups, including transferring funds to al-Qa’ida leaders. OFAC previously designated al-Ka’bi on August 5, 2015, pursuant to E.O. 13224 for his fundraising activities in support of HTS. Al-Ka’bi is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, al-Qa’ida.
Jamal Husayn Zayniyah (Zayniyah) has been a leader of Hurras al-Din since 2020, around when he left his role as a senior leader of HTS. In that same period, Liwa al-Muqatileen Al-Ansar (LMA), a group founded by Zayniyah, split from HTS over strategic disputes. Zayniyah and LMA continued to align themselves with al-Qa’ida and merged with Hurras al-Din around this time. OFAC previously designated Zayniyah on November 10, 2016, for acting for or on behalf of HTS. As of 2025, Zayniyah was forming a Hurras al-Din cell in Syria, which included teaching children how to use weapons and organizing a team to carry out assassinations. Zayniyah is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for acting or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Hurras al-Din.
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.
Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. Individuals located in the United States or abroad who provide information about sanctions violations to Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network whistleblower incentive program may be eligible for awards if the information they provide leads to a successful enforcement action that results in monetary penalties exceeding $1,000,000.
Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions. OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority.
The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here and to submit a request for removal, click here.