The United States removed Syria from its official list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, ending a 47-year designation that had restricted investment and economic activity in the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the formal revocation of Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism following the completion of a mandatory 45-day congressional notification period. The action came nearly two years after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, confirmed Syria's removal from the Terrorist Designations—State Sponsors of Terrorism list. "Syria is no longer subject to the prohibitions of the Terrorist Designations—State Sponsors of Terrorism Sanctions Regulations," the agency stated.
The delisting aligns with President Donald Trump's stated commitment to reduce sanctions on Syria. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that the action "will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability."
The State Department simultaneously revoked its designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, as a global terrorist organization. HTS, formerly known as the al-Nusrah Front, was previously Al Qaeda's Syrian branch but severed ties with the jihadist group in 2016 and has since sought to moderate its public image. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the current president of Syria, leads HTS.
Syrian Foreign Minister Al Shara thanked the Trump administration for what he called a "historic decision" for the country. He attributed the delisting to cooperation between Syria and the United States and linked the removal of sanctions to the end of the al-Assad regime.
The delisting follows the restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Syria in 2025. Syria had remained on the U.S. terrorism sponsor list since 1979.
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