Japan lifts sanctions on Syrian oil firms and ministries

The Japanese Foreign Ministry announced that the government has decided to lift sanctions against a number of Syrian companies and institutions. The decision targets entities operating in the oil, banking, and telecommunications sectors.

Scope of lifted restrictions

Specifically, the measures remove sanctions from Syria’s Ministries of Defense and Interior. Asset freezes have also been lifted for several prominent state-linked enterprises.

The affected organizations include the Syrian Petroleum Company, the Syria Trading Oil Company, the Commercial Bank of Syria, and Syriatel. This move represents a significant easing of economic constraints on these specific bodies.

Diplomatic rationale

In explaining the decision, the Foreign Ministry cited developments regarding the situation in Syria. Officials stated the action was taken with consideration for bilateral relations between Japan and Syria.

Previous partial easing

This latest step follows a partial lifting of sanctions implemented by Tokyo in 2025. During that earlier phase, four Syrian banks were removed from the sanctions lists.

Those banks included the Industrial Bank, the People’s Bank for Credit, the Savings Bank, and the Agricultural Cooperative Bank. Despite these adjustments, broader restrictions remain in place.

Japan continues to maintain sanctions against 59 individuals and 18 other Syrian entities.