US removes Syria from terrorism sponsor list

The United States has removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism after 47 years, ending a designation that carried heavy financial and diplomatic restrictions and had long deterred banks and investors from re-engaging with the country.

The decision took effect Monday after a 45-day congressional review period, following President Donald Trump’s formal notification to Congress on July 8 that he intended to rescind the designation. Syria had been on the list since 1979, when Washington accused the government of former President Hafez al-Assad of supporting armed groups. The designation continued under his son, Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown in late 2024 by rebels led by Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move recognized “the positive actions taken and further commitments” by Sharaa’s government to “fully distance Syria from acts of international terrorism.” He said the decision would give Syrians “a path to prosperity.”

The listing imposed restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, defense exports and sales, some dual-use items with civilian and military applications, and financial transactions. It could also penalize people and countries trading with the sanctioned state. The BBC reported that U.S. officials described its removal as lifting the “final major barriers” to private-sector investment and Syria’s reintegration into the global economy.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the action would help attract investment. “Today’s action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability,” he said, adding that it was in line with Trump’s promise to deliver sanctions relief to Syria.

Syrian officials welcomed the decision. Sharaa called it “historic” in a statement on X, thanked Trump and said Syria was turning a “page from its painful past, in order to launch itself into the realm of development, reconstruction, and building.” Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani also described the move as a “historic step,” according to Syria’s state-run SANA news agency.

“We will continue working to remove the effects of isolation and create an environment based on transparency, mutual interests and respect,” Shaibani said.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry said the U.S. decision “represents an important shift that opens a new chapter in international relations with Syria” and would support economic recovery, reconstruction and stability. Central bank governor Safwat Raslan called it “a historic step that restores the country to its natural place in the global economic system” and said the bank was working to build “a modern and reliable financial system.” Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh, according to SANA, described the move as “a major and historic success for Syrian diplomacy” that opens a door to global financial integration, investment and modern technologies.

The United States also revoked the designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as a global terrorist organization. HTS, formerly al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, was led by Sharaa before he severed ties with the network in 2016. The group led the rebel offensive that toppled Assad in December 2024 and now dominates Sharaa’s transitional administration.

Last year, Washington also removed HTS from its list of foreign terrorist organizations and took Sharaa off its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Sharaa, a former militant, previously had an American bounty on his head as leader of an al-Qaeda offshoot.

U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack called the end of the designation 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.”

With Syria removed, the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list now includes Cuba, North Korea and Iran.