Sanctions

Bank Sepah

Cyberattack strikes Iranian bank with ties to IRGC: What we know

The hacker group that claims to be behind the attack said it targeted the bank over its role in financing Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images

France blocks Israeli weapons display at Paris airshow: What to know

After their exclusion from the Eurosatory and Euronaval fairs, Israeli armament companies have now been prevented from participating in the Bourget defense show in Paris.

(L to R) Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israeli far-right lawmaker and leader of the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish power) party, and Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli far-right lawmaker and leader of the Religious Zionist Party, attend a rally with supporters in the southern Israeli city of Sderot on Oct. 26, 2022.

Breaking | Last Updated: June 10, 2025, 12:11 pm

UK, Australia, Canada sanction Israel’s Ben-Gvir, Smotrich for inciting violence

Both far-right Israeli ministers will have their assets frozen and face travel bans.

People queue in front of a teller next to a pile of banknotes of different currencies at a commercial bank affiliated with Syria's central bank in Damascus on December 16, 2024. Governments worldwide are stepping up efforts to engage with Syria's new interim rulers, just over a week after Islamist-led rebels ousted president Bashar al-Assad, ending decades of brutal rule and civil war. (Photo by Louai Beshara / AFP) / "The erroneous CAPTION appearing in the metadata of this photo by Louai Beshara has been

Exclusive

Trump to sign sweeping order rescinding Syria sanctions

The expected executive order comes after the Trump administration took steps to ease sanctions on Syria last month.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Latest News

Syria to rejoin SWIFT payment system ‘within a few weeks’: What to know

People queue to use ATM machines outside a bank in Damascus on Dec. 16, 2024.

Rubio announces sanctions on ICC judges over US, Israel probes

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the American Compass New World Gala at the National Building Museum on June 3, 2025 in Washington.

EU sanctions Sunni factions accused of violence against Syria’s Alawites, Kurds

A handout picture from the Syrian state news agency SANA showing members of the security forces in Syria's coastal region

Tom Barrack talks Syria aid during Saudi Arabia, Jordan visits: What to know

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with United States special envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack.

People celebrate in Damascus' Omeyyad square after US President Donald Trump's decision to lift sanctions in Syria, on May 13, 2025

Analysis

US sanctions relief key to Syria’s recovery but hinges on global coordination

The levies include secondary sanctions targeting individuals or companies who engage with Damascus, so private sector companies will only move after a US green light.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

A man carrying a stash of Syrian pounds, leaves the central bank in Damascus on May 21, 2025.

US grants Syria initial sanctions relief

The Treasury Department said the move is meant to facilitate activity across all sectors of Syria's economy and encourage new investment.

People celebrate in Damascus' Omeyyad Square after US President Donald Trump's decision to lift sanctions in Syria, on May 13, 2025.

Exclusive

US set to unveil sweeping Syria sanctions relief

The Trump administration is preparing to issue a general license for Syria and a Caesar Act waiver.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

The US flag is seen hung upside down at the former US Embassy in downtown Tehran on April 19, 2025, in Tehran, Iran.

US, Iran to resume talks as enrichment standoff threatens deal

Ahead of their fifth round of talks, the United States and Iran remain at an impasse over uranium enrichment.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Rubio warns Syria’s government could collapse in weeks, triggering civil war

The top US diplomat made the case for sanctions relief and renewed engagement with the transitional government in Damascus to prevent "full-scale civil war."

Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin gives a press conference following talks with Sweden and Finland over their bids to join NATO at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on May 25, 2022.

Turkey’s intel chief Kalin makes surprise visit to Syria, meets Sharaa

Kalin's visit comes as a Turkish delegation arrives in Washington to discuss sanctions relief on Syria with the Trump administration.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Levant Affairs and Special Envoy for Syria Joel Rayburn delivers a statment ahead of a meeting of the Syria constitution-writing committee on October 29, 2019 at the United Nations Offices in Geneva. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Joel Rayburn commits to helping lift Syria sanctions, boxing in Iranian influence

In a hearing with Senate lawmakers, the White House’s pick to become the State Department’s top diplomat on the Middle East argued for capitalizing on Iran’s losses in Syria and Lebanon while stressing that the Islamic Republic should not have the ability to enrich uranium domestically.

People queue outside the main headquarters of the Central Bank of Syria to exchange US dollars at prices lower than the black market, in Damascus on December 30, 2024. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

Syria’s central bank chief: US sanctions relief a ‘turning point’

Abdulkader Husrieh discusses how sanctions relief could impact Syria’s reintegration into the global financial system.

Abdulkader Husrieh

Abdulkader Husrieh

Syrian central bank governor

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - MAY 15: U.S. President Donald J. Trump is greeted by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan upon his arrival on May 15, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Trump is on the third day of his visit to the Gulf to underscore the strategic partnership between the United States and regional allies including the UAE, focusing on security and economic collaboration. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

As Trump lands in UAE, tech and trade to dominate agenda, not defense

The Emirati official said that the US' easing of sanctions on Syria is “the right thing to do,” but expressed concerns about stability and safety of minorities in the country.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan looks adjusts his earpiece during bilateral talks with the US President the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 11, 2023.

Erdogan thanks Trump for ‘historic’ Syria decision during Sharaa meeting

The Turkish president also said his country was ready to support Damascus in the fight against the Islamic State and in maintaining the security of ISIS camps.

audi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L), US President Donald Trump (C) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) pose for a photo in Riyadh on May 14, 2025.

Trump to Syria's Sharaa: Recognize Israel, expel foreign fighters

During their 30-minute meeting in Riyadh, the two leaders also discussed combating the Islamic State and future American investment in Syrian oil and gas.

People celebrate in Damascus' Omeyyad square after US President Donald Trump's decision to lift sanctions in Syria, on May 13, 2025. (Photo by Abdulaziz KETAZ / AFP) (Photo by ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Trump wants to lift all US sanctions on Syria: Can he?

Removing some sanctions on Syria could require congressional action, and one expert warned that rescinding all the measures could decrease the US’ leverage with the new government in Damascus.

Adam Lucente

By Rosaleen Carroll , Adam Lucente