Photo courtesy of Anadolu
The United States removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, ending a designation in place for nearly five decades as Washington eased restrictions on the country’s post-Assad government.
The US Treasury Department said Syria was no longer covered by prohibitions under its Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations. The move fulfilled President Donald Trump’s earlier commitment to provide sanctions relief to Damascus.
Washington also revoked the terrorist designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as the al-Nusrah Front, and removed the group from the Treasury’s list of sanctioned individuals and entities.
The Treasury subsequently withdrew a license that had allowed certain transactions otherwise restricted because of HTS members’ participation in the Syrian government, saying the authorization was no longer needed following the policy changes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision reflected steps taken by Damascus to distance itself from international terrorism. He cited Syrian efforts against ISIS, al-Qaida, Hezbollah and Iran-aligned groups, as well as its participation in the international coalition fighting ISIS.
Rubio also said lifting the designation removed a major obstacle to private investment and could support Syria’s economic recovery and return to the global economy.
Trump notified Congress in July of his plan to end Syria’s designation after meeting Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Syria had been on the US state sponsors of terrorism list since 1979, a status that imposed restrictions on financial dealings, investment and security assistance.
The shift followed the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government in December 2024 and efforts by Sharaa’s administration to rebuild relations with Washington. Sharaa, who previously led HTS, later visited the White House, becoming the first Syrian leader to do so since the country gained independence in 1946.
