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View all search resultsUS to remove Syria from terror blacklist
Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Congress of the long-expected move, which will be effective in 45 days unless lawmakers take the unlikely step of blocking it.
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This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency shows interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaking in Damascus on March 29, 2025. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced the formation of a new government late on March 29, reaffirming his commitment to “building a strong and stable state.“ Day to day affairs in Syria have been administered by a ministerial team since president Bashar al-Assad was ousted by Islamist rebels on December 8. (AFP/Syrian Presidency)
T
he United States said Wednesday it will delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, a decades-old designation that severely impeded investment, in a new vote of confidence in leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Congress of the long-expected move, which will be effective in 45 days unless lawmakers take the unlikely step of blocking it.
The step came as President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey with Sharaa, a former jihadist who has sought to recast himself as a unifying figure after the 2024 toppling of the Assad family, which ruled with an iron fist for a half century.
"This is yet another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness," Rubio said in a statement.
"Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people," he said.
Trump's embrace of Sharaa comes despite misgivings from Israel, which has repeatedly launched airstrikes in Syria, one of its historic adversaries.
Trump had earlier publicly pressed for Syria to make peace with Israel but went ahead with the delisting decision despite a lack of tangible progress.
Rubio said in his statement that "a stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the entire world."
Syria is seeking economic support to rebuild after years of brutal war that helped rise to the Islamic State extremist group and generated a major refugee crisis.
Meeting in Ankara with Sharaa, who has traded his guerrilla fatigues for a suit, Trump said, "He's doing an unbelievable job in unifying Syria. What a job he's doing."
"Syria was a mess with what happened with the previous government," Trump said.
Last year Trump signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions program on Syria, allowing an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system.
Several Saudi firms are planning billion-dollar investments as part of Riyadh's efforts to support its recovery, while other Gulf states have also pledged financial assistance.
