Washington, Oct. 1 (SANA) The United States has removed Syria from the list of countries subject to a comprehensive policy of denial for licenses and other approvals related to defense trade under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
The US Department of State announced on Thursday an amendment to the ITAR regulations removing Syria from the list of countries toward which the United States applies a policy of denying licenses and other approvals for the export and import of defense articles and defense services. The decision took effect October 1, 2026.
In a final rule published in the Federal Register under the title “International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Syria Country Policy Revision,” the State Department said the amendment implements a decision approved by the Secretary of State on August 19, 2026, establishing a new defense trade policy toward Syria.
Under the new policy, requests to transfer defense articles and defense services to Syria will be reviewed and licensed on a case-by-case basis, replacing the blanket denial policy previously applied under ITAR §126.1.
The new rule removes Syria from the table under §126.1(d)(1), which identifies countries subject to a comprehensive U.S. policy of denying licenses and other approvals related to defense trade.
The State Department said Syria’s status was amended after the necessary statutory requirements were met, including the removal of the terrorism-related determination on which some of the restrictions had been based, as well as exemptions from or removal of separate restrictions under relevant U.S. laws.
The State Department classified the amendment as a final rule exempt from the rulemaking requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act because it concerns the foreign affairs or military functions of the United States. The rule was therefore published without seeking public comments.
The department said the amendment will remove certain restrictions on defense trade activities involving Syria and that the resulting regulatory costs are expected to be very limited.
The final rule was filed September 30 and published in the Federal Register on October 1, 2026, the same date on which it took effect.
The ITAR regulates the export, import and transfer of defense articles and defense services, while §126.1 sets out restrictions and policies governing defense trade with countries listed under the provision.
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