Syria’s Minister of Communications and Technology, Abdul Salam Haykal, announced on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, that the Zoom video communications platform is now operational in Syria for the first time since it was founded.

Haykal wrote on X, “I thank the team at the Ministry of Communications and Technology responsible for following up on U.S. restrictions, and everyone in the Syrian tech community in the United States and around the world who supports these efforts.”

Until now, some users inside Syria had to run a VPN to access Zoom’s video services.

What is Zoom?

Zoom is a popular platform founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Jose, California. It provides online video conferencing and meeting services that enable audio and video communication across devices.
It is widely used in business, education, and personal communication, and it offers features such as group chat, screen sharing, and meeting recording. Key points include:

• Zoom can be used on a wide range of devices, including iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, and Windows and Mac computers, in addition to several professional meeting products.

• There are two roles on a Zoom call. The host organizes the call, also known as the “virtual meeting,” and sends participants an email invitation with a link and passcode, which makes it easy to join.

• Although Zoom is often used for business, it can also connect you with friends and family anywhere in the world, support online doctor appointments, help you attend classes, or enjoy game nights with friends.

• You can use Zoom free of charge for personal purposes. The Basic plan supports up to 100 participants per call and sets a 40-minute limit for group meetings.

Related developments in tech services

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, reactivated paid advertising in Syria on October 5, after years of technical restrictions on Syrian accounts. Users in Syria have begun to see sponsored ads while browsing the platforms.

In September, the U.S. code-hosting platform GitHub said that with sanctions and export controls on Syria easing, GitHub would again become widely available to Syrian developers. The company added it is taking steps to lift restrictions on developers in Syria in order to restore full account functionality, with the changes expected within the following week.

Sanctions context

The gradual return of technology services to Syria follows an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on June 30 that canceled the economic sanctions imposed on Syria since 2004, while keeping sanctions related to human rights violations, chemical weapons, terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and certain parties’ relations with Iran.
On August 28, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security announced relaxed licensing requirements for civilian-oriented exports to Syria. The measure would allow the entry of U.S.-origin goods, software, and technology for civilian use, as well as consumer communications equipment and some civil aviation items, without an export license. It also facilitates exports related to telecommunications infrastructure, sanitation, power generation, and civil aviation.