U.S. Officially Delists Syria as a State Sponsor of Terrorism

The U.S. State Department has officially delisted Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, marking a significant step toward the country’s reintegration into the global economy and the international community.

This decision comes after President Donald Trump informed Congress of his intent to lift Syria’s decades-old terrorism designation in July. The delisting process began with a 45-day congressional notification period, which has now come to an end.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the delisting of Syria on Monday, citing the country’s positive actions and commitments to distance itself from international terrorism. Rubio highlighted Syria’s membership in the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State and its efforts to disrupt terrorism-disrupting operations targeting ISIS and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Along with Syria, the U.S. State Department also removed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition of northern Syria-based Sunni Islamist groups, from its list of specially designated global terrorists. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham led the military campaign that toppled Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in late 2024.

The delisting of Syria and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham eliminates the final major barrier for private sector investment in Syria and promotes economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy, according to Rubio.

Syria’s relations with the United States and the Western world have steadily improved since the fall of al-Assad in late 2024. In June, President Trump signed an executive order ending most U.S. sanctions on Damascus, and in July, he informed Congress of his intent to delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The Syrian government, under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has made significant commitments to distance itself from international terrorism. Al-Sharaa issued a statement congratulating the Syrian people on their country’s removal from the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list.