"The door is now open." Syria makes first international transfer via SWIFT in 14 years

Syria this week made its first international bank transfer through the SWIFT payment system since the start of its 14-year civil war, the head of the Central Bank of Syria, Abdelkader Khusriye, told Reuters.

According to him, a direct commercial transaction took place on Sunday between a Syrian and an Italian bank.

"Now the door is open for new similar operations," Husrie said.

This transfer was a landmark step in Syria's efforts to return to the global financial system after years of isolation caused by war and international sanctions.

Sanctions against Syria have been in place for 14 years – since 2011, when the West decided to suspend all bilateral cooperation with the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

The situation changed in February 2025, and in May, economic sanctions began to be lifted from Syria.

• On June 9, it was reported that the new leadership of Syria, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, expects to connect the country's financial system to the international payment system SWIFT in the near future.