Syria set to be removed from US terrorism list after decades

The 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 formally informed 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.”

A year ago, Trump started lifting most sanctions on Syria after Turkey and Saudi Arabia both encouraged him to meet Sharaa.

Seeing the former guerrilla, now in a suit, in Ankara, 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.

The United States listed Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979.

The designation creates legal risks to working in Syria for businesses, especially American ones or those with transactions in the world’s largest economy.

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