US Officially Removes Syria from State Sponsors of Terrorism List After Nearly Five Decades

The US State Department on Monday officially removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, clearing a major obstacle in Damascus's economic recovery. The delisting came after President Donald Trump in July notified the US Congress of his intent to rescind Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, an action that required a 45-day review to finalise.

Syria was originally placed on the US blacklist in 1979, which also includes Iran, Cuba and North Korea. “Treasury is following through on President Trump’s promise to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, noting that the move will help foster investment and promote political and economic stability.

Alongside this decision, the US also revoked the designation of Al Nusra Front. The group had previously severed ties with Al Qaeda in 2016 and later merged into Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) in 2017.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that these actions were taken to recognize positive measures and further commitments by Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara to distance the nation from international terrorism, citing significant counterterrorism steps taken over the past year.

Since ousting the Assad regime in December 2024, Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara—formerly the leader of HTS—has forged a strong relationship with President Donald Trump. Washington previously lifted Caesar Act sanctions, though the terrorism sponsor designation remained a massive hurdle for reconstruction, which the World Bank estimates will cost $216 billion.