The U.S. Department of the Treasury and State Department announced significant sanctions relief for Syria today, rescinding the country's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism and removing Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list. This action aligns with President Trump’s promise to provide sanctions relief to Syria.
Concurrently, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed HTS from its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said, “Treasury is following through on President Trump’s promise to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness. Today’s action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability.” This builds on the State Department's earlier revocation of HTS's Foreign Terrorist Organization designation in July 2025.
Despite the broader relief, OFAC simultaneously designated two former HTS affiliates for their continued support of al-Qa’ida and Hurras al-Din. Sa’d Bin Sa’d Muhammad Shariyan al-Ka’bi was designated for providing financial and logistical support to al-Qa’ida leaders, having been previously designated in 2015 for fundraising for HTS. Jamal Husayn Zayniyah, a former senior HTS leader, was designated for acting on behalf of Hurras al-Din, an al-Qa’ida affiliate in Syria, and for forming a cell that included teaching children to use weapons.
These new designations, made under Executive Order 13224, mean all property and interests of al-Ka’bi and Zayniyah in the U.S. or controlled by U.S. persons are blocked. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with blocked individuals. The Treasury emphasized that these actions do not alter its commitment to countering global terrorism and holding "bad actors" accountable in Syria.