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Syria delisted after 47 years
The United States removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, Aug 24, 2026, ending a designation that had been in place since 1979.
“The United States removed Syria from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism on Monday”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the change recognized the Syrian government’s “positive actions” to “fully distance itself from acts of international terrorism,” and Reuters reported the removal took effect after a 45-day congressional review period triggered when Trump notified Congress on July 8.
Reuters said the delisting also removed the designation of the Nusrah Front as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization, leaving Cuba, Iran and North Korea as the three remaining state sponsors.
The BBC reported the move lifted what it said were the “final major barriers” for private sector investment in the country and its reintegration into the global economy, and it said the Trump administration embraced Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The BBC added that Syria’s SST designation carried financial sanctions, restrictions on U.S. foreign aid and defence exports and sales, and could penalise people and other countries that trade with the sanctioned state.
Rubio, Bessent, and Damascus
Rubio framed the decision as a step toward economic recovery, saying it would give the Syrian “a path to prosperity,” while U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: "Today's action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability."
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani greeted the news as a “historic step,” telling Reuters that the government hoped removing what he called the "last obstacle" would help reconnect Syria to the global financial and economic system and boost investment.
Reuters reported that Syria had been on the list since 1979, when Washington accused the government of former President Hafez al-Assad of supporting militant groups, and it said the designation remained throughout Bashar al-Assad’s rule until rebels led by Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled him in December 2024.
The BBC said the U.S. hoped to bring Syria into its orbit rather than that of Russia or China, but it also said risks remained significant because Syria was still far from secure and lacked representative government.
In a statement carried by Reuters, Rubio said: “These actions were all taken in recognition of the positive actions taken and further commitments by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa to fully distance Syria from acts of international terrorism,” linking the delisting to commitments by al-Sharaa’s government.
What changes next
Reuters said the terrorism designation had remained a major deterrent for banks and investors even after Washington dismantled its broader sanctions program on Syria, and it reported that the U.S. Treasury said American financial institutions can provide services to Syria, process payments involving Syrian banks and establish correspondent banking relationships with them, provided sanctioned parties are not involved.
“provided sanctioned parties are not involved”
The BBC reported that the listing carried restrictions on U.S. foreign aid and defence exports and sales, and it said Syria’s removal left just three remaining state sponsors: Cuba, North Korea and Iran.
The Center Square reported Rubio authorized the formal rescission after the mandatory 45-day Congressional notification period and said he also delisted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), describing the actions as “another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity.”
Al-Monitor said the SST label was a key legal reason many tech products including equipment and software require licenses to export to Syria, even after Washington relaxed broader sanctions on the country.
Reuters added that the delisting eliminated one of the most significant remaining legal barriers to Syria’s reintegration into the international financial and economic system, while it said the U.S. maintained targeted sanctions against Assad and his associates, rights abusers, drug traffickers, Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliates and Iranian proxies.