U.S. eases Syria sanctions, shifts focus to Assad accountability
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Wednesday a major update to its sanctions regime on Syria, formally ending the state of emergency linked to the rule of Bashar al-Assad and lifting broad-based sanctions imposed on the country.
According to the Treasury, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has renamed the framework “Sanctions Regulations to Enhance Accountability for Assad and Regional Stability.” The changes mark a shift away from blanket sanctions and toward targeted measures against individuals and networks accused of war crimes, human rights abuses, and narcotics trafficking, particularly the production and smuggling of captagon.
The updated regulations also allow for the re-listing of individuals and entities found to be involved in violations, drawing on existing U.S. laws, including the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act and the Captagon Trafficking Prevention Act.
The Treasury stressed that the new policy is designed to “enhance accountability and support regional stability,” while cautioning that deliberate violations of the regulations could result in criminal prosecution.