Overview
- Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced Syria’s removal from Canada’s state terror list and HTS’s delisting after an extensive review.
- Canada cited alignment with allied decisions by the United States and United Kingdom, as a United Nations Security Council delegation made a rare visit to Damascus this week.
- Ahmed al‑Sharaa, the former HTS leader who became president after Assad’s fall in December 2024, has advanced international outreach including a White House meeting and cooperation against ISIS.
- Ottawa continues sanctions on 56 Syrian entities and 225 individuals, while a general permit allows certain reconstruction‑related financial services through the Central Bank of Syria and six other banks until February 23, 2026.
- Analysts and monitors note ongoing internal strains, including large‑scale sectarian violence in Alawite areas and Sweida this year, highlighting unresolved security and reconciliation challenges.