Trump administration removes Syria from US State Sponsor of Terrorism list after 47 years

WASHINGTON, DC: On Monday, August 24, the United States officially took Syria off its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called this the final big hurdle standing in the way of investment and economic recovery for Syria. In his statement, Rubio explained that he decided after Congress had its required 45 days to review the move.

President Trump kicked off the process back in July when he told Congress that Syria’s government no longer supports violent activities.

Sanctions relief follows years of diplomatic shifts

Syria had remained on the list since 1979, a designation that stayed in place throughout Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Al-Sharaa pushed Assad out of power in December 2024 after HTS rebels drove the offensive. In June 2025, Trump signed an executive order: he scrapped Syria sanctions, ended the national emergency, and called for a wider review of other sanctions and designations connected to Syria.

Rubio gave credit to the new Syrian government under al-Sharaa, pointing out its concrete efforts to break away from terrorism. Over the past year, Syria officially joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November and cracked down on networks tied to ISIS, al-Qaida, Hezbollah, and Iran-backed groups.

According to Rubio, removing both designations clears the last big hurdles for private investors and bolsters Syria’s economic recovery and its return to the global economy.

Trump admin claims it as an ‘historic step’

"I have also delisted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)," Marco Rubio said Monday, August 24.

The actions, he said, represent "another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity."

Rubio said Washington had taken unprecedented steps over the past year to provide sanctions relief to the Syrian people. He pointed to Trump’s June 2025 executive order, "Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions," which accelerated sanctions relief by terminating the Syria Sanctions Program and the national emergency with respect to Syria while directing reviews of other Syria-related sanctions and terrorist designations.

"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," Rubio said of the Syrian government.

He added that rescinding Syria’s designation "eliminates the final major barriers for private-sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria’s economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy."

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told Reuters on Aug 22 that lifting the designation would help restore Syria’s links to the global financial system and encourage investment following nearly 14 years of war.

"There is no longer any obstacle to investment, doing business, or rebuilding economic life in Syria," he said.

Trump celebrated the announcement with a photo on Truth Social, al-Sharaa and al-Shibani standing together, holding his freshly signed executive order from June 2025.

Al-Sharaa plans to visit the White House in November for a face-to-face meeting with Trump. Now that Syria’s name is off the list, only Cuba, Iran, and North Korea are still tagged by Washington.