US Removes Syria From State Sponsors Of Terrorism List After 45 Years

The United States has removed Syria from its list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism”, ending a designation that had been in place since 1979 and potentially easing the path for greater economic engagement with Damascus as the country seeks to rebuild after 14 years of war.

The decision took effect on Monday after a 45-day congressional review period. US President Donald Trump had formally notified Congress on July 8 of his intention to rescind the designation. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa welcomed the move as “historic”, saying it would support Syria’s efforts towards reconstruction, development and economic recovery.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision recognised “the positive actions taken and further commitments” by al-Sharaa to “fully distance Syria from acts of international terrorism”.

Al-Sharaa welcomed the move in a statement on X, thanking Trump and saying Syria was turning a “page from its painful past, in order to launch itself into the realm of development, reconstruction, and building”.

Syria has been on the US terrorism list since 1979, when Washington accused the government of former President Hafez al-Assad of supporting armed groups. The designation remained during the rule of his son, Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown by rebels led by al-Sharaa in December 2024.

The designation imposed restrictions on US foreign assistance, defence exports and sales, certain dual-use items with both civilian and military applications, and financial transactions. It also remained a significant deterrent for banks and investors even after the US dismantled its wider sanctions programme on Syria.

US seeks to reduce Iranian and Russian influence

Al Jazeera reported that the decision ends decades of Syria’s formal isolation and could provide al-Sharaa’s government with greater international legitimacy.

Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, said the move would create opportunities for commercial investment, including US financial assistance and defence sales.

“Only Cuba, Iran, and North Korea remain on that list. This will open up an opportunity for international legitimacy – something al-Sharaa’s government has been seeking. But it also paves the way for commercial investment, not only in the form of US financial assistance, but also defence sales,” she said.

Al Jazeera reported that the decision also has a broader strategic dimension for Washington, which is seeking to reduce Syria’s reliance on Iran and Russia.

“Strategically, there’s another goal of the United States in all of this: to try to pull Syria away from the clutches of both Iran and Russia, and end the formal pariah status Syria has previously found itself in,” she added.

Monday’s announcement also revoked the designation of al-Nusrah Front, the group formerly led by al-Sharaa and also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as a global “terrorist” organisation. HTS had previously been al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria.

The move also signals Washington’s support for al-Sharaa, who has pursued closer engagement with Western governments and held meetings with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron. According to Al Jazeera, the Syrian leader has undertaken what many experts have described as a charm offensive aimed at Western powers.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the decision would encourage investment in Syria.

“Today’s action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability,” Bessent said, adding that it is “in line with President Trump’s promise to deliver sanctions relief to Syria”.

Damascus welcomes ‘new chapter’

Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the US decision as an important change in its relationship with Washington and the wider international community.

The ministry said the action “represents an important shift that opens a new chapter in international relations with Syria”. It added that the move “will contribute to supporting economic recovery efforts and creating suitable conditions for reconstruction and enhancing stability in Syria and the region”.

The governor of Syria’s central bank, Safwat Raslan, also welcomed the decision on X, calling it “a historic step that restores the country to its natural place in the global economic system”. He said the bank was “working to build a modern and reliable financial system”.

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh described Washington’s decision as “a major and historic success for Syrian diplomacy”, according to the country’s official news agency SANA.

Barnieh said the move “opens a major and long-awaited door to strengthening Syria’s integration into the global economic and financial system, attracting investment and modern technologies, and supporting development opportunities”.

US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack also welcomed the decision, describing it as a “decisive step in Syria’s remarkable journey from isolation to partnership, and from a source of terrorism to a committed partner in the global fight against it”.