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The State Department has removed Syria from a list of countries banned from buying US weapons, the latest step in the Trump administration’s push to rebuild ties with the new government in Damascus.

Getting into it: In a notice published in the Federal Register, the State Department said it was amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations so Syria would no longer face automatic denials of licenses for US weapons. Starting Thursday, any Syrian requests will be reviewed case by case, though the department stressed that doesn’t mean sales are automatically approved.

The move follows a string of moves to loosen restrictions on Syria since rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. President Trump eased economic sanctions last year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio removed Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism in August, and the US plans to reopen its Damascus embassy, which has been closed since 2012.

Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is a former rebel commander once aligned with the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate. He has made improving relations with the US and winning sanctions relief a top priority as the country tries to recover from years of civil war.

Syria’s removal leaves seven countries on the blacklist: Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Venezuela.