The Trump administration formally removed Syria from the United States' list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, ending a designation that had been in place for nearly five decades as Washington moves toward closer relations with the country's new government.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he had authorized the rescission following the expiration of the mandatory 45-day congressional notification period. Syria had been designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States since 1979.
Rubio also announced that Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist organization formerly led by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, had been removed from the US government's list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. "These actions represent another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity," Rubio said.
The State Department said the decision followed steps taken by al-Sharaa's government to distance Syria from international terrorism and cooperate with US counterterrorism priorities. According to Rubio, Syria formally joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November and has conducted operations targeting ISIS, al-Qaeda, Hezbollah and Iran-aligned terrorist networks.
The decision marks a dramatic reversal in US-Syria relations following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in late 2024. Al-Sharaa, who emerged as Syria's new leader following Assad's ouster, has sought to normalize relations with Western countries and reintegrate Syria into the international economy.
Al-Sharaa's own history has generated skepticism over the new Syrian government. He previously led the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front before breaking with al-Qaeda. The organization later became part of HTS, which played a central role in the campaign that ultimately toppled Assad. President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa during a NATO summit last month and praised the Syrian leader as "fantastic" and "highly respected," while signaling that his administration intended to remove Syria from the terrorism list.
The administration began the formal process on July 8, when Trump notified Congress of his intention to rescind Syria's designation. At the time, the State Department cited "positive changes and counterterrorism actions" by the al-Sharaa government as well as assurances from the Syrian president that his country would no longer support international terrorism.
Monday's action is part of a broader dismantling of US sanctions against Syria. In June 2025, Trump issued an executive order terminating the Syria sanctions program and the national emergency related to the country while ordering reviews of additional sanctions and terrorism designations.
The administration said removing the state sponsor designation and HTS's terrorist designation eliminates major remaining obstacles to private investment in Syria. "Rescinding Syria's designation as an SST and HTS' designation as an SDGT eliminates the final major barriers for private sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria's economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy," Rubio said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "Today's action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability," Bessent said.
Syrian Finance Minister Muhammad Yasser Bernia called the move a "major and historic success for Syrian diplomacy," saying it would strengthen Syria's connection to the international financial system and help attract foreign investment and technology.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he had authorized the rescission following the expiration of the mandatory 45-day congressional notification period. Syria had been designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States since 1979.
Rubio also announced that Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist organization formerly led by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, had been removed from the US government's list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. "These actions represent another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity," Rubio said.
The State Department said the decision followed steps taken by al-Sharaa's government to distance Syria from international terrorism and cooperate with US counterterrorism priorities. According to Rubio, Syria formally joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November and has conducted operations targeting ISIS, al-Qaeda, Hezbollah and Iran-aligned terrorist networks.
The decision marks a dramatic reversal in US-Syria relations following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in late 2024. Al-Sharaa, who emerged as Syria's new leader following Assad's ouster, has sought to normalize relations with Western countries and reintegrate Syria into the international economy.
Al-Sharaa's own history has generated skepticism over the new Syrian government. He previously led the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front before breaking with al-Qaeda. The organization later became part of HTS, which played a central role in the campaign that ultimately toppled Assad. President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa during a NATO summit last month and praised the Syrian leader as "fantastic" and "highly respected," while signaling that his administration intended to remove Syria from the terrorism list.
The administration began the formal process on July 8, when Trump notified Congress of his intention to rescind Syria's designation. At the time, the State Department cited "positive changes and counterterrorism actions" by the al-Sharaa government as well as assurances from the Syrian president that his country would no longer support international terrorism.
Monday's action is part of a broader dismantling of US sanctions against Syria. In June 2025, Trump issued an executive order terminating the Syria sanctions program and the national emergency related to the country while ordering reviews of additional sanctions and terrorism designations.
The administration said removing the state sponsor designation and HTS's terrorist designation eliminates major remaining obstacles to private investment in Syria. "Rescinding Syria's designation as an SST and HTS' designation as an SDGT eliminates the final major barriers for private sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria's economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy," Rubio said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "Today's action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability," Bessent said.
Syrian Finance Minister Muhammad Yasser Bernia called the move a "major and historic success for Syrian diplomacy," saying it would strengthen Syria's connection to the international financial system and help attract foreign investment and technology.
