United States removes Syria from State Sponsor of Terrorism list

The United States has formally removed Syria from its State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) list, ending a designation that had been in place for 47 years. The move follows a 45-day congressional review period initiated by President Donald Trump after his meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at a NATO summit in Ankara.

The removal of the SST status is intended to facilitate international trade, investment, and economic stability in Syria following the 2024 ousting of Bashar al-Assad. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the action aims to “foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability.”

In conjunction with this decision, the State Department revoked the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation for Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the group led by al-Sharaa that participated in the campaign to topple the previous regime. The Trump administration has previously worked to ease export controls and rescind various layers of sanctions under the Caesar Act to support the transitional administration.