US lifts blanket ban on arms exports to Syria

The United States is removing Syria from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations' blanket policy of denial effective October 1, 2026. Export-license and approval requests for defense articles and services can therefore be considered individually instead of being rejected as a category, following authority granted in August. The regulatory change is not an arms sale and does not guarantee approval for any transaction; applicants must still satisfy U.S. foreign-policy, security, end-use and human-rights reviews before controlled military equipment or technical assistance can be transferred. Each proposed transfer will therefore remain subject to government review.