Treasury Imposes Iran Sanctions Package Alongside Syria Terror List Removal

The simultaneous tightening of Iran restrictions and easing of Syria's state-sponsor designation illustrates how the administration is using financial tools to reshape two distinct Middle East...

The U.S. Treasury Department announced a new package of sanctions targeting Iran on August 24, 2026, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent describing the measures as the largest financial offensive against Iran ever imposed, according to CBS News. The announcement followed public statements by President Trump warning of what he called an "economic D-Day" for Iran. The specific sanctions designations, including the names of sanctioned entities and individuals, are required to be published in the Federal Register and on the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) public database, where the full scope of the action can be verified.

Separately, the State Department formally completed the process of removing Syria from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation Syria had held since 1979, according to reporting by the New York Post citing a Treasury Department announcement. The removal had been previewed in prior weeks and is subject to a congressional review period under relevant statute. Treasury stated the action is intended to unlock economic revitalization opportunities for Syria.

The two moves represent distinct policy tracks operating in parallel. Iran faces expanded financial restrictions while Syria, under its post-Assad government, is being removed from a designation that had blocked broad categories of economic engagement for more than four decades. The legal basis for both actions rests on presidential and secretarial authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Export Administration Act, statutes that have governed such designations across multiple administrations of both parties.

Congress retains review authority over the Syria delisting under applicable law, meaning the removal is not final until the review window closes without a blocking resolution. The specific length of that review period and whether any member of Congress has introduced a resolution to block the action are not confirmed in available public records as of this date. The relevant committee proceedings, if any, would appear in the congressional record of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

What remains unknown includes the full list of entities designated under the new Iran sanctions package, the precise dollar value of assets targeted or frozen, and whether any members of Congress have formally objected to the Syria delisting during the review period. The OFAC public SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) list and the Federal Register notice for both actions would provide the definitive record of all entities affected.