US to remove Syria from terrorism sponsor list

ANKARA,— Washington moved Wednesday to strike Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, ending a decades-long label that had blocked foreign money from entering the country and marking a fresh show of support for Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Congress of the widely anticipated action. Lawmakers have 45 days to try to stop it, though such a move is seen as improbable.

The announcement came as President Donald Trump held talks with Sharaa on the sidelines of a NATO gathering in Turkey.

Sharaa, a former jihadist, has worked to present himself as a leader capable of bringing the country together following the 2024 fall of the Assad family, which controlled Syria for fifty years.

Rubio called it “yet another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness.”

He added that ending sanctions would allow Syria to attract foreign business, begin reconstruction efforts, and move toward a fresh start for its citizens.

Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa, also known by the name Abu Mohammed al-Golani, right, announced US President Donald Trump’s signed decision removing Syria from the state sponsors of terrorism list, where it had been since 1979, with this pose with Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, July 8, 2026. Photo: Shraa’s Press Office/via iKurd.net.

Trump personally told Sharaa of his decision in a letter delivered after their Ankara meeting, according to a senior U.S. administration official, Reuters reported.

In the letter, seen by Reuters, Trump wrote that he had promised to clear away every obstacle blocking Syria’s recovery and said the moment had finally arrived for that promise to be fulfilled.

He told Sharaa that American companies were prepared to invest in Syria and help build a stronger, more prosperous future for the country.

Trump’s warm reception of Sharaa comes even though Israel, a longtime rival of Syria, has voiced concern and continued carrying out airstrikes inside the country.

Trump had previously called for Syria and Israel to reach a peace agreement but proceeded with the delisting even though little progress had been made on that front.

Rubio said a unified, stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors would benefit the wider region and the world.

Syria is looking for financial backing to recover from a brutal civil conflict, one that helped fuel the emergence of the Islamic State group and triggered a massive wave of refugees.

During the Ankara meeting, where Sharaa appeared in a suit rather than military attire, Trump praised him, saying he is “doing an unbelievable job in unifying Syria” and calling the previous government’s rule “a mess.”

Earlier sanctions relief from Trump had limited effect because Syria remained on the terrorism list, exposing companies to legal jeopardy for doing business there.

Rubio said the delisting followed written assurances from Sharaa promising Syria would not back international terrorism going forward.

With Syria removed, only Iran, North Korea and Cuba remain on the terrorism list. Cuba’s inclusion, added late in Trump’s first term, drew controversy as part of pressure on its communist government.

Syria had held the terrorism designation since 1979.

Under Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez, the country sheltered Palestinian militant factions and was accused of involvement in incidents including a 1986 plot to bomb an El Al flight.

More recently, the designation stemmed largely from Assad’s alliance with Iran and backing of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group.

Last month, Trump floated the idea that Sharaa’s Sunni-led Syria might step in for Israel in weakening Hezbollah.

Sharaa rejected any plan for military involvement in Lebanon, territory Syria occupied for decades under Assad rule.

Sharaa, a former Islamic radical once known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, previously had ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS and founded the al-Nusra Front before it became Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

(With files from AFP | Reuters)