Washington: The United States government has lifted export restrictions on foreign access to Anthropic’s most advanced artificial intelligence models, allowing the company to restore worldwide availability of its Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 systems.
Anthropic confirmed that access to both models will begin returning after the US Department of Commerce informed the company that export licensing requirements had been removed. In a statement shared on X, Anthropic thanked users for their patience and acknowledged those involved in bringing the models back online.
The decision follows weeks of uncertainty after the Trump administration ordered Anthropic to block all foreign nationals, including some company employees, from accessing Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5, citing unspecified national security concerns. The company had said at the time that officials were particularly concerned about potential security vulnerabilities in Fable 5, though no detailed explanation was provided.
We’ve received notice that the Department of Commerce has lifted export controls on Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5.
We’ll begin restoring access tomorrow, and will share an update soon.
We’re grateful to our users for their patience, and to everyone who worked with us on…
— Anthropic (@AnthropicAI) June 30, 2026
According to a letter from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Anthropic no longer requires an export licence after agreeing to strengthen security oversight. The company committed to proactively identifying and addressing risks associated with its AI models, collaborating with the US government on safety standards for future frontier AI systems, and reporting malicious activity involving its technology.
Before the broader rollback, Anthropic had already received approval to provide the models to US organisations responsible for operating and protecting critical infrastructure. The company also stated that it was working closely with authorities to restore wider public access.
Ongoing tensions with the Trump administration
The reversal marks another chapter in the evolving relationship between Anthropic and the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Anthropic sued the US Department of Defence after the Pentagon designated the company as a ‘supply chain risk.’ The dispute stemmed from Anthropic’s refusal to collaborate with the US military without guarantees that its AI technology would not be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons.
Although President Donald Trump initially promoted a lighter regulatory approach toward artificial intelligence during his second term, the administration has recently increased oversight of advanced AI development and deployment.
The shift has also affected other leading AI developers. OpenAI recently announced that its upcoming GPT-5.6 model would initially be released only to a limited group of trusted partners, following discussions with US authorities regarding a phased rollout.
Experts see broader implications
AI experts believe the government’s decision reflects a reassessment of the security concerns surrounding Anthropic’s models. Francesco Bailo, Deputy Director of the AI, Trust and Governance Centre at the University of Sydney, said reports suggesting researchers had successfully ‘jailbroken’ Claude Fable 5 were significantly overstated. Francesco Bailo argued that the US government likely recognised that maintaining the restrictions could create an undesirable regulatory precedent and provoke resistance from an industry that has maintained close engagement with policymakers.
Bailo also noted that if Anthropic’s models remained restricted under those standards, competing frontier AI models would likely face similar treatment. Tanishq Abraham, founder of medical AI company Sophont and former research director at Stability AI, described the policy reversal as a significant development for the AI sector.
Tanishq Abraham said the improving relationship between Anthropic and the US government appears to be influenced by company leadership and raises critical questions about future regulation. According to Abraham, one of the biggest uncertainties is whether frontier AI developers will now require government approval before releasing next-generation models.
As governments continue to balance innovation with national security concerns, the Anthropic decision could shape how advanced AI systems are regulated and deployed worldwide.
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