The U.S. should gradually ease sanctions on Syria to help the war-torn country rebuild, but the lifting of many of those restrictions should be linked to whether Syria’s new leaders live up to their promise to break from their extremist past, two researchers told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Feb. 13.
Former President Joe Biden's administration made the most “aggressive and far-reaching use” of trade tools of any U.S. administration in history, and the new Trump administration is on track to “wield these tools in an even more aggressive manner,” Gibson Dunn said in a 2024 international trade recap released this month. Although the Treasury Department under Biden imposed sanctions at a faster rate than any of his predecessors, the law firm noted that President Donald Trump favors tariffs, which could cause the targets of those tariffs, including U.S. trading partners in Europe and Asia, to deploy similar tools “either in retaliation against U.S. measures or in pursuit of their own strategic interests.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Feb. 13 sanctioned Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court. The designation came days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing sanctions against people and entities linked to the ICC, including for issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials accused of war crimes in Gaza (see 2502070022). OFAC didn’t release more information about the designation.
Although the new administration appears to be gearing up to build on U.S. outbound investment restrictions against China, President Donald Trump’s affinity toward dealmaking means that tighter rules aren’t a guarantee, an analyst said. Other analysts said the U.S. will face challenges trying to convince its allies in Asia, including Japan and South Korea, to also impose restrictions on outbound deals in China.
President Donald Trump has nominated John Hurley to be undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial crimes and Thomas DiNanno to be undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, the White House told the Senate Feb. 11.
President Donald Trump has nominated congressional staffer Landon Heid to be assistant secretary of commerce for export administration at the Bureau of Industry and Security, the White House told the Senate Feb. 11.
A new European Parliament briefing published this week analyzes the state of EU sanctions against Russia, including developments last year and possible next steps that the bloc could take to increase pressure against Moscow.
The U.K. on Feb. 12 published a general license permitting humanitarian activity in Syria. The license allows for the U.N., humanitarian organizations with observer status with the U.N. General Assembly, bilaterally or multilaterally funded non-governmental organizations taking part in the UN Humanitarian Response Plans and international organizations conducting relief activities in Syria to engage in activities needed to "provide humanitarian assistance, other activities that support basic human needs and facilitate the timely provision of those activities in Syria." Any parties carrying out those activities must "provide written notice to HM Treasury within 30 days of commencing the activity."
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced a bill Feb. 7 that would authorize the president to sanction Middle Eastern leaders, except those in Israel, who decline to offer humanitarian entry to Palestinians from Gaza. The Make Gaza Great Again Act is intended to encourage cooperation with President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Gaza’s population outside the war-torn territory. The legislation was referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees.
Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., reintroduced a bill Feb. 7 that would control exports of certain “national interest technology or intellectual property” to China.