WASHINGTON, 23 December, 2020, (TON): The United States on Tuesday announced more than a dozen of sanctions against Syrian individuals and entities to further pressure the Syrian government.

The Treasury Department added seven individuals, nine business entities, and the Central Bank of Syria to its blacklist. Among them, four are immediate family members of Asma al-Assad, the wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who had been designated earlier this year. The commander of Syria's Military Intelligence and a senior official of the Syrian Presidency were also targeted.

The Treasury said that all property and interests of the property of the designated entities and the individuals in the US have been blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.

In addition, non-U.S. persons that engage in certain transactions with them may be exposed to sanctions.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has said that the US is practicing "economic terrorism" against Syria.

President Assad said last month that the sanctions of the US and its allies on Syria are hindering the Syrian government's efforts to rehabilitate the infrastructure in areas destroyed by the more than nine-year-long war.

Diplomatic relations between Syria and the United States are currently non-existent; they were suspended in 2012 after the onset of the Syrian Civil War. Priority issues between the two states include the Arab–Israeli conflict, the Golan Heights annexation, and the Iraq War.