The United States has removed Syria from the list of countries subject to a comprehensive denial policy for defense trade licenses, allowing requests for the export and import of defense articles and services to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The US Department of State announced the regulatory change on Thursday, saying the amendment to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) took effect on October 1, 2026.

The final rule, published in the Federal Register under the title “International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Syria Country Policy Revision,” implements a decision approved by the secretary of state on August 19 to establish a revised defense trade policy toward Syria.

Under the new policy, applications involving the transfer of defense articles and services to Syria will be assessed individually rather than being subject to the blanket denial policy previously imposed under ITAR Section 126.1.

The amendment removes Syria from the list of countries covered by Section 126.1(d)(1), which identifies states subject to a comprehensive US policy of denying defense trade licenses and related approvals.

According to the State Department, the change followed the fulfillment of relevant statutory requirements, including the removal of a terrorism-related determination underlying some of the restrictions and the removal of, or exemptions from, separate restrictions under applicable US laws.

The department classified the amendment as a final rule exempt from the public notice-and-comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, citing its connection to US foreign affairs and military functions. As a result, the rule was issued without a public comment period.

The State Department said the revision would ease certain restrictions on defense trade involving Syria, while the regulatory costs associated with the change were expected to be limited.

The final rule was filed on September 30 and published in the Federal Register on October 1, the date it entered into force.

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations govern the export, import and transfer of defense articles and services, while Section 126.1 sets out restrictions applicable to countries subject to specific US defense trade policies.

The change does not constitute automatic approval for arms transfers to Syria, as relevant requests will remain subject to individual review and licensing under the revised policy. (ILKHA)