US removes Syria's designation as State Sponsor of Terrorism
The move removes key legal barriers for private investment and follows Syria’s commitments against terrorism, officials said.
- On Monday, the State Department officially removed Syria from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list and revoked the terrorist designation of the Nusrah Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, fulfilling President Trump's commitment to the post-Assad government.
- President Trump met Ahmed al-Sharaa in Ankara in July and notified Congress of his intent to rescind the designation, triggering a 45-day review period; the terrorism listing had remained a major deterrent for banks and investors despite comprehensive sanctions ending in July 2025.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the action fosters additional investment in Syria, while American financial institutions can now provide services to Syrian banks provided sanctioned parties are not involved; Mastercard and Bank of America have already begun preparing payment infrastructure.
- Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told Reuters on Saturday that the government hoped removing what he called the 'last obstacle' would help reconnect Syria to the global financial system; "There is no longer any obstacle to investment, doing business and rebuilding economic life in Syria," he said.
- Negotiations between Damascus and Washington included Syrian commitments to drastically reduce Russian oil imports according to sources familiar with the talks, while the United States continues to designate Cuba, Iran, and North Korea as the three countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism.
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In Syria, the leadership hails further reliefs from sanctions than diplomatic victory. Now it is solely responsible for the economic crisis.
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US removes Syria from state sponsors of terrorism list
The US removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, the latest step in Damascus moving to close the book on the Bashar al-Assad era and a decade-long civil war. Assad’s brutal dictatorship presided over mass human rights violations, an economic collapse, and ultimately a vicious internecine conflict that left huge numbers dead and millions displaced until he was overthrown in 2024. Syria’s current government, led by the former Isl…
Washington's move means that financial institutions will again be able to provide services to Syria, process payments and establish relations with Syrian banks. For a country to be rebuilt after almost fourteen years of war, it is the passage that can allow the arrival of large international investments
Syria has been relieved of a ‘heavy burden’ now that it has been removed from the US list of countries that support terrorism. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated this in a speech on Tuesday. With the American decision, a significant step is also taken towards a gradual lifting of US sanctions against Damascus. Follow all developments in the United States via our live blog.
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