US Drops Syria From Terror Sponsor List
US Drops Syria From Terror Sponsor List
The News
The State Department has formally moved to strip Syria of its designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, ending a blacklisting Damascus has carried since 1979.
The Treasury Department announced the action on Monday, as the Trump administration continues to rebuild relations with Syria's post-Assad government.
The decision was announced weeks ago and is subject to congressional review, according to the New York Post.
Being named a state sponsor of terrorism blacklists a country from critical foreign aid and military exports and exposes it to financial penalties.
Timeline
The United States designates Syria a state sponsor of terrorism.
The Bashar al-Assad regime is toppled. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa begins working to normalize relations with Washington and lobbies to get his country off American blacklists.
President Trump meets al-Sharaa in Turkey while attending the NATO summit, calling him "fantastic" and "highly respected." Asked whether he would remove Syria from the terror list, Trump says: "I think I will, yeah. Why wouldn't I? He's done a great job."
The administration announces the decision to drop the designation, setting up congressional review.
The State Department formally moves to remove the designation. The same day, the administration removes the Nusrah Front — a group al-Sharaa founded that fought the Assad regime during the civil war — as a specially designated global terrorist organization.
Reactions
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move "unlocks new potential for Syria's economic revitalization and progress," adding that "the Trump Administration continues to advance U.S. national security to achieve peace, prosperity, and security in the Middle East."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that "today's action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability."
Syrian Finance Minister Muhammad Yasser Bernia called it a "major and historic success for Syrian diplomacy." He said the step "represents a significant and final step in strengthening Syria's connection to the global economic and financial system, attracting modern investments and technologies, and supporting development opportunities."
What's Next
The removal is subject to congressional review.
The administration and Damascus both frame the move as opening the door to foreign investment in Syria, after decades in which sanctions and the terror designation cut the country off from aid, arms sales and much of the global financial system.
More
Al-Sharaa has drawn skeptics over his past affiliations with al-Qaeda, which he cut off, and he eventually fought against ISIS during the Syrian civil war. Monday's action also lifted the specially designated global terrorist label from the Nusrah Front, the group he founded to fight Assad.
The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to wind down longstanding punitive measures against Syria. Reuters, The Hill and the Jerusalem Post also reported the removal.
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