Citing Belarus’ release of 250 political prisoners last week, the Trump administration lifted sanctions against the Belarusian Finance Ministry today. The lifting of sanctions was part of a deal struck last week in Minsk during a meeting between Presidential Envoy for Belarus John Coale and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department speaking on background to The (b)(7)(D) hailed the release of the 250 prisoners and the overall release of 500 political prisoners by the Belarusian government since President Trump took office and stated that the Department would provide further calibrated sanctions relief for the Belarusian financial sector.

The State Department further indicated that the United States “made clear” that the sanctions relief could not be used to evade any other sanctions imposed by the U.S. or support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

The sanctions lifted today were imposed in December 2021 as Russia prepared its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During the invasion in February 2022, Lukashenko allowed large Russian units to invade Ukraine from Belarusian territory in a failed attempt to take Kyiv. The Russian troops were thrown back after a two-month battle.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control also lifted sanctions on four companies working in Belarus’ fertilizer sector Belaruskali, Belarusian Potash Company, and Agrorozkvit at a time when the U.S. war against Iran has caused disruptions in fertilizer markets. A significant amou

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nt of the world’s fertilizer supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, currently closed by Iran. Average retail anhydrous ammonia prices in Illinois are now over $1,000 a ton up nearly 20% from pre-war prices.

The Treasury Department did not return a request for comment at press time.

Moments ago, the U.S. Treasury Department issued Russia-Related General License 134 “Authorizing the Delivery and Sale of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products of Russian Federation Origin Loaded on Vessels as of March 12, 2026”

The license allows for the sale of Russian crude oil products loaded on ships as of March 12, 2026. The duration of the license is only for one month, until April 11, 2026.

The lift of sanctions follows reports from earlier in the week that the Trump Administration was considering lifting oil sanctions against Russia.

The U.S. Treasury took a surprising step Wednesday, sanctioning dozens of Russian oil companies for “Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.” The move—unprecedented in scope—came just days after the White House visit of Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy and one day after the White House cancelled a proposed summit with Russian President Vladmir Putin. These are the first sanctions imposed on Russia by the second Trump Administration. The Treasury Department also called on Russia to agree to an “immediate ceasefire.”

The sanctions were targeted on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft. Any U.S. entity engaging in transactions with either company may face civil penalties. However, the Treasury stopped short of imposing secondary sanctions, merely warning that “engaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions.” The Office of Foreign Assets Control’s decision not to enforce secondary sanctions drew criticism from some observers.

Two projects, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium and the Tengizchevroil were notably spared.

Lukoil posted revenue of $10.12 billion in 2024, a decline of more than 25% over the previous year. In 2024 Rosneft reported revenue of $12.71 billion, down 14% from 2023. At press time, stocks of Lukoil (LKOH) were down more than 5% in heavy trading. Rosneft was down more than 4%.

Yinon Levi, an Israeli settler at the center of a sanctions rollback by the Trump administration shot and killed Palestinian activist Odeh Hathalin on Monday in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Two other Palestinians were wounded in the incident.

After the shooting, Israeli judicial authorities freed Levi and placed him under house arrest. He is not allowed to contact anyone involved in the incident for 21 days.

The removal of sanctions against Levi, first reported by The (b)(7)(D) on January 24, were lifted that same day by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. OFAC’s action lifting the sanctions was in response to President Donald Trump’s January 20th order cancelling dozens of Biden-era executive orders, including Biden’s Executive Order 14115 which targeted organizations and persons “undermining peace, security and stability in the West Bank.” Levi was amongst those initially sanctioned by the Biden administration.

President Trump’s cancellation of Executive Order 14115 lifted sanctions on Israeli settler groups accused of destabilizing the West Bank. Ironically, as reported by The (b)(7)(D), it also rescinded OFAC sanctions against Arin al-Usud, a Palestinian terrorist organization designated in June 2024 for undermining peace and security in the region. Moreover, the OFAC order lifting the sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank listed Yinon Levi first among the Israeli settlers approved for sanctions relief.

France, which said it would recognize a Palestinian state in September, condemned the shooting of Hathalin, grouping the killing among a broader list of violent incidents, stating “these violent acts are acts of terrorism.” Levi was sanctioned by the UK Foreign Office on February 12, 2024, and by the European Union in March 2024. Additional sanctions were imposed against Levi by Australia, Canada, Japan, and Belgium.

Hathalin had worked as a consultant and was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary entitled “No Other Land,” about Israeli settlers’ attempts to seize Palestinian villages. The film won the Academy Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary. The filmmakers, a collective of Israeli and Palestinian activists, told Variety that they hoped it would “touch on the political roots, find a political solution and end the occupation.”

Variety reported that the film secured a Middle East distribution deal after its Oscar win. However, the Israeli Army halted the film’s press tour in the West Bank

In March, No Other Land’s director, Hamdan Ballal was beaten by the Israeli Army. The parent organization of the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences responded by releasing a statement to its members stating that the “Academy condemns harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints” without mentioning either Ballal or “No Other Land,” sparking controversy.

Even as No Other Land swept awards at major festivals worldwide—Berlin, New York, and beyond—its director, Hamdan Ballal, was beaten by the Israeli Army in March. The Academy’s initial statement condemned violence against artists but conspicuously omitted Ballal and the film’s name, prompting over 800 members, including Mark Ruffalo, to demand acknowledgment. Under pressure, the Academy apologized for its oversight, explicitly naming Ballal and reaffirming its condemnation of violence and suppression of free speech.

On Tuesday the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued Russia-Related General License 13N, allowing administrative and tax payments to Russian institutions, including the Russian Central Bank.

The license continues licenses issued under the Biden administration allowing for tax and other administrative payments to Russian institutions, preventing the Russian State from seizing foreign companies and assets in Russia for failure to pay taxes and fees owed the Russian government.

On Monday, reports surfaced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lift the terrorism designation against the Al-Nusra Front on Tuesday, July 8. The group—also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—led the rebel coalition that toppled the government of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December and now plays a central role in Syria’s new government.

Early Monday, a draft version of the revocation order leaked online. By late afternoon, the State Department confirmed the move in a press release from Rubio, stating that the designation would be officially lifted on July 8.

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“The revocation follows the announced dissolution of HTS and the Syrian government’s commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms,” Rubio said. “This action builds on the momentum of the June 30 Executive Order, “Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions”, and recognizes the positive actions taken by the new Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.”

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (Courtesy, Office of the President of Azerbaijan)

This step is the latest in a series of U.S. actions aimed at easing pressure on Syria’s new leadership. In late May, the Treasury issued General License Number 25, which lifted restrictions on many senior Syrian institutions.

President Trump first announced plans for sanctions relief on May 13 during his Middle East visit. The next day, he met with al-Sharaa in Riyadh. Footage from Syria showed crowds celebrating as news of lifted sanctions spread.

On June 30, the White House issued a sweeping executive order rescinding six prior sanctions orders issued by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. However, individuals tied to the former Assad regime were not granted relief. The June 30 order maintained sanctions on former officials linked to the kidnapping of Americans and the production of the drug captagon.

Trump’s order also instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary Rubio to “take all appropriate action” to review the designations of HTS, President al-Sharaa, and Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism.”

Tuesday’s action lifts the designation against Al-Nusra Front but does not affect the status of al-Sharaa or Syria itself. A request for comment to the State Department regarding the revocation—and the timing of any future changes to al-Sharaa’s or Syria’s designations referred The (b)(7)(D) to the already issued press statement and did not address the issue of the terrorism designations of al-Sharaa or the state sponsor of terrorism designation of Syria.

Notably, Rubio’s revocation order is dated June 23—seven days prior to Trump’s executive directive—suggesting that internal deliberations about lifting terrorism designations were underway before the presidential order was formally issued.

On Monday, the US formally lifted the decades-old sanctions regime against Syria’s new government. However, the State Department declined to say whether terrorism designations would remain in place for President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Al Nusra Front, or Syria as a whole.

Monday’s actions came after President Trump announced the sanctions relief on May 13, during the Saudi leg of his Middle East trip. One day later, Trump met with al-Sharaa in Riyadh. In late May, the U.S. issued a general license which provided the first sanctions relief for Syria in decades. The U.S. sanctions rollback in May authorized transactions with top-tier Syrian institutions, including the Syrian Central Bank, Syrian Arab Airlines, the country’s oil and gas sectors, and multiple government ministries.

On Monday, President Trump issued a sweeping executive order that rescinded six previous executive orders sanctioning Syria dating back to the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Requests for comment about the revocation of the previous sanctions from the Office of George W. Bush and the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama were not returned.

Not all persons subject to Syrian sanctions obtained relief. The new executive order also targeted former officials of the deposed regime of Bashar al-Assad, those involved in kidnapping Americans and persons involved in the production of captagon, a drug the former regime produced and trafficked to finance its operations in the Syrian Civil War.

Monday’s executive order directed Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Rubio to “take all appropriate action” to review the designations of the ruling Al-Nusra Front as a terrorist organization and President al-Sharaa as a terrorist.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, (Courtesy, Office of the President of Azerbaijan).

When asked whether the State Department intended to lift the terrorist designations against al-Nusra Front, President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Syria, a department spokesperson—speaking on background—referred The (b)(7)(D) to a fact sheet issued by the White House, a press statement from Secretary of State own press release, and a press release from the Treasury Department.

In his statement, Secretary Rubio pledged to “examine the potential full suspension of the Caesar Act, take all appropriate action with respect to the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and review the Specially Designated Global Terrorist designations of HTS and President al-Sharaa, as well as Syria’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation.”

Previously, the U.S. had offered a $10 million reward for the capture of al-Sharaa. In December, the Biden administration announced they were dropping the $10 million bounty after al-Sharaa gave “positive messages” after meeting with State Department officials.

In a sign of his rising influence on U.S. policy in the region, the State Department briefing on the change included long-time Trump friend, U.S. Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack. Barrack, 78, has been a friend of the President since the 1980s, when he bested Trump in a series of negotiations for New York’s famed Plaza Hotel.

In the briefing, Barrack denied that the U.S. was engaging in nation-building in Syria. The U.S. envoy to Damascus colorfully described the process of sanctions relief as “unwrapping an onion.” Appointed to the Syrian role in May, Barrack now holds dual titles as Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria. His late May visit to Damascus included meetings with al-Sharaa and other Syrian officials.

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack (Courtesy U.S. State Department)

In early June, Barrack met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Israel’s occupation of a 15-km belt of Syrian territory and broader regional dynamics. After originally opposing engagement with Syria’s new leadership, Israel has now shifted course, seeking an updated security deal with the new government. On Monday, Israeli officials told The Times of Israel that the country was in “advanced talks” with the Syrians on a security deal and hoped to bring Syria into the “Abraham Accords” Israel’s U.S.-brokered normalization framework with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. A request for comment regarding the termination of Syrian sanctions from the Office of Prime Minister Netanyahu was not returned.

On Friday, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued Syria General License No. 25, effectively lifting decade-old sanctions on key Syrian institutions. The relief includes the Syrian Central Bank, Syrian Arab Airlines, the Syrian oil and gas industries and multiple government ministries.

Sanctions relief was also extended to two individuals: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Muhammad Al Jawlani) and Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (Courtesy, Office of the President of Azerbaijan)

At the same time, the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) provided relief to the Commercial Bank of Syria, lifting its prohibition on maintaining accounts with the bank.

These actions follow the United Kingdom’s decision to begin easing sanctions against major Syrian institutions in March, as reported by The (b)(7)(D). The UK government granted additional sanctions relief to Syria on April 24.

President Trump announced the sanctions relief on May 13, during the Saudi leg of his Middle East trip. The following day, Trump met with al-Sharaa in Riyadh. Footage from Syria showed that Trump’s announcement prompted celebrations across the country.

This morning, UK Foreign Minister David Lammy made a statement to the House of Commons announcing that Britain is suspending free trade talks with Israel. Additionally, the UK is re-evaluating its overall relations with Israel under its 2030 Bilateral Roadmap for UK-Israel Relations, issued under the previous Sunak government.

The actions are in response to Israel’s renewed offensive in the Gaza Strip announced on Sunday.

Lammy singled out the recent statement of Israeli Defense Minister Bezalel Smotrich yesterday saying “Minister Smotrich even spoke of Israeli forces “cleansing” Gaza, “destroying what’s left”, of resident Palestinians “being relocated to third countries.” Lammy condemned the statement as dangerous and extremist.

Yesterday, Minister Smotrich even spoke of Israeli forces “cleansing” Gaza, “destroying what’s left”, of resident Palestinians “being relocated to third countries”.

We must call this what it is. It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous. And I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.

The UK’s action follows a wave of condemnation issued by the UK, Canada, France and other nations on Monday.

In addition, the UK sanctioned 3 individuals, two illegal settler outposts and two organizations for settler violence against Palestinians.

These actions come at a time where Israel faces increasing isolation for its actions. President Donald Trump expressed increasing dissatisfaction with Isreal’s conduct of the war and Vice President J.D. Vance postponed a trip to Israel.

On Monday, the Washington Post quoted a person familiar with the negotiations to end the war, as saying “Trump’s people are letting Israel know, ‘We will abandon you if you do not end this war.”

The Global Magnitsky sanctions program, named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer allegedly killed for exposing corruption, was enacted to broaden the original Magnitsky sanctions program beyond Russia

According to reporting from OCCRP, in 2012 Rogan had been the architect of a so-called “golden visa” program, where well-off foreigners could invest in special Hungarian government bonds in exchange for visas allowing the purchasers to live in Hungary. Such programs are a magnet for criminals and corruption, according to a 2023 report from the Financial Action Task Force, a 43-nation group charged with leading global action on money laundering, terrorist financing, and weapons proliferation financing schemes.

Antal Rogan. Credit: CC-by-SA-4.0: Solymari

The program was suspended in 2017 after a popular outcry. A report by Hungarian investigative journalism outlet G7 revealed that Rogan, as head of the Hungarian Parliament’s Economic Committee, violated the program’s rules by concealing information from other committee members before votes to approve new visa holders hoping to enter the program. The practice of concealing information from opposition members of the Economic Committee continued after Rogan left to become Orban’s chief aide in 2015. Days after Orban and Rogan’s Fidesz party won parliamentary elections, the golden visa program was reinstated with a new name.

Reached for comment, a State Department spokesperson, speaking on background, told The (b)(7)(D) that “Secretary Rubio spoke with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto regarding the delisting of senior Hungarian official Antal Rogan from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. This action allows us to focus on the valuable opportunities for strategic cooperation between the United States and Hungary moving forward.”

However, the Global Magnitsky Act limits the bases for lifting sanctions to findings the sanctioned person did not engage in corruption, was criminally prosecuted, reformed themselves or “the termination of the sanctions is in the national security interests of the United States.”

At press time, the State Department had not responded to a follow-up question regarding which of these bases the Department had based its action. At press time, the Department of the Treasury had not replied to a request for comment from The (b)(7)(D).

On Wednesday, the U.S. lifted sanctions against Karina Rotenberg, the wife of Boris Rotenberg, a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Boris Rotenberg and his brother, Igor Rotenberg, were childhood friends of the Russian President.

The delisting is a significant concession to one of Putin’s closest personal allies at a time when the Trump administration is attempting to broker a peace between the Putin regime and Ukraine.

No reason was given by the Treasury Department for the move, which Pravda described as “unexpected.” The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment from The (b)(7)(D). Reached for comment, a State Department spokesperson, speaking on background, told The (b)(7)(D) that the State Department was “unable to comment on the specifics of this delisting.” Despite being unable to comment on the specifics of the matter, the spokesperson proactively decoupled the lifting of sanctions from Trump’s efforts to force a peace in the Russo-Ukrainian War, stating “this action is independent from our ongoing efforts to advance a negotiated end to the war.” The State Department spokesperson added that “our sanctions remain broadly in place, and we do not have additional announcements at this time.”

The Rotenbergs became billionaires after Putin rose to power in the late 1990s. The brothers invested in banking, construction, and other ventures and obtained large contracts from Russia’s majority state-owned natural gas company Gazprom and for the Sochi Olympics.

But Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine resulted in U.S. sanctions being placed on both Arkady and Boris Rotenberg. But Boris Rotenberg had a U.S. citizen to help him evade sanctions, his wife. In 1993, Karina Rotenberg, then Karina Gapchuk, had moved to the U.S. with her parents and applied for asylum in the U.S. Eventually, Karina Rotenberg became a U.S. citizen.

Between 2014 and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Karina Rotenberg’s status as a U.S. citizen proved useful to Boris Rotenberg. According to Forbes, Karina played “a key role in her husband’s attempts to shift his assets in an effort to skirt sanctions.” Despite this, the U.S. did not place Karina on its Russia-related sanctions list until March 3, 2022, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Karina Rotenberg was also placed on the United Kingdom’s Russia sanctions list on March 15, 2022. At press time, Karina Rotenberg remained on the UK Sanctions List.

Thursday morning the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, lifted sanctions against twenty-four top-level Syrian entities, including Syrian Arab Airlines, (Syria Air), the Syrian Central Bank, and the Syrian General Petroleum Corporation. Many of these sanctions had been in place for more than a decade, with some of the restrictions dating back to 2011.

The lifiting of these sanctions follows a partial relaxation of sanctions against Syria by the State Department on 6 January and action on 24 February by the European Union to ease sanctions against many top-level entities in Syria and to make funds available to the Syrian Central Bank. The UK sanctions actions appear to go farther than the U.S. and EU sanctions actions, as the Syrian Central Bank and multiple other banks saw UK all restrictions lifted.

All of this follows the remarkable toppling of former Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad by a coalition of rebel forces in early December 2024.

Today the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Scottish lawyer Karim Khan in retaliation for the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants on November 21 targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for their actions in the the 2023-2025 Gaza War. Khan had applied for the warrants in May, 2024.

President Donald Trump announced February 6th that sanctions would be imposed on the ICC. It was widely reported last Friday that Khan would be the first target of the ICC sanctions.

Karim Kahn, Courtesy Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken

Dozens of countries condemned Trump’s executive order announcing the sanctions, including key U.S. allies the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Germany.

In November, the ICC announced an investigation into Khan regarding sexual misconduct allegations unrelated to and predating the imposition of sanctions.

Newly sworn-in U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Colombian government officials and their families according to a U.S. State Department press release issued Sunday.

Citing section 212 (a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationalization Act, Rubio ordered a suspension of visa issuance at the U.S. Embassy Bogotá consular section and stated that he was “authorizing travel sanctions on individuals and their families, who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations.”

The Associated Press reported that consular officials at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia confirmed the suspension of visa issuance. At press time, the U.S. Embassy Bogatá’s consular section carried no mention of the suspension of visa operations.

The tiff began when Colombian President Gustavo Petro allegedly denied landing rights for U.S. military planes carrying migrants. Rubio claimed the landing rights were denied mid-flight.

Trump responded on his Truth Social account, saying that he was imposing “urgent and decisive retaliatory measures” against the Colombian government. The Rubio announcement followed.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foriegn Assets Control today dropped all sanctions imposed by the Biden Administration’s Executive Order 14115 against organizations and persons “undermining peace, security and stability in the West Bank.” OFAC removed the sanctions as a result of President Donald Trump’s January 20th order cancelling dozens of Biden-era executive orders.

The goal of Trump’s cancellation of Executive Order 14115 was to relieve sanctions against Israeli settler groups whose actions the U.S. felt destablized the West Bank. But the President’s total cancellation of Executive Order 14115 also resulted in the dropping of OFAC’s sanctions against Arin al-Usud, a Palestininan terrorist organization in the West Bank that was sanctioned by the Biden Administration in June 2024 for undermining peace, security and stability in the West Bank.

Known as Lion’s Den in English, the Eurpoean Council on Foriegn Relations’ Mapping Palestinian Politics reports that Arin al-Usud grew out of the Nablus Battalion, a group linked to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah factions. Mondoweiss and Al Jazeera reported that Lion’s Den was targeting the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Israeli settlers in particular. Described by the New York Times as the “foremost” of a wave of new militant organizations fighting Israel in the West Bank, Lion’s Den had the largest social media presence of any Palestinian faction and was known for inspiring “lone-wolf” attacks. While some later reports indicated the group had become dormant, the U.S. State Department said Lion’s Den had been involved in attacks as late as April 2024.

The fact that Trump's indiscriminate cancellation of 61 of President Biden’s executive orders inadvertently led to the removal of sanctions against Lion’s Den raises questions about the slegehammer approach the President is taking at the opening of his second term and his understanding of and committment to the sanctions regime overseen by OFAC. Like King Darius before him, Trump is finding out that decrees sometimes have unintended consequences.