US removes Syria from list of state sponsors of terrorism
The Trump administration has embraced Syria's new president, former al-Qaeda militant Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The United States has delisted Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, ending a 47-year designation that the US described as the "final major barriers" to private sector investment and Syria's reintegration into the global economy.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House last year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the removal acknowledged the Syrian government's positive efforts to fully disassociate itself from international terrorism.
The Trump administration has embraced Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former militant who once had an American bounty on his head as the leader of an al-Qaeda offshoot. His Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was also removed from the US list of global terrorist organizations. HTS, previously known as al-Nusra Front, was al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria until Sharaa severed ties with the jihadist network in 2016.
In late 2024, HTS led the rebel offensive that overthrew former president Bashar al-Assad and now dominates Sharaa's transitional administration. The US aims to draw Syria into its sphere of influence, rather than that of Russia or China. However, significant risks persist, as Syria remains far from secure and lacks a representative government. It is also at the center of escalating tensions between its neighbors, Israel and Turkey.
Rubio indicated that Monday's decision, initially signaled in July, would provide Syria with "a path to prosperity." US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented, "Today's action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability."
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani hailed the news as a "historic step," according to state-run news agency SANA. He stated, "We will continue working to remove the effects of isolation and create an environment based on transparency, mutual interests and respect."
Last year, the US also revoked HTS's designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and removed Sharaa from its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
Syria's removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, where it had been since 1979, leaves only three countries remaining: Cuba, North Korea, and Iran. This listing carries financial sanctions, restrictions on US foreign aid and defense exports and sales, and can also penalize individuals and other countries that engage in trade with the sanctioned state.
In related news, a Syrian court has sentenced an Assad-era grand mufti to life in prison.