US Drops Syria from “State Sponsors of Terrorism” List

By Staff, Agencies

The United States has formally removed Syria from its “State Sponsors of Terrorism” list, ending a designation that had imposed extensive restrictions on Damascus.

The US State Department announced the decision Monday in a notification published by the Treasury Department, following an earlier pledge to remove Syria from the list pending congressional review.

The designation had blocked US foreign assistance, restricted defense exports and certain financial transactions, and deepened Syria’s isolation from the US-controlled international financial system.

Its removal now eliminates a major layer of Washington’s sanctions framework and could open greater space for financial and economic engagement with Damascus, as the US reassesses its long-standing policy toward Syria.

At the same time, Washington removed the Nusrah Front from its designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization.

The move is separate from Syria’s removal from the terrorism list but forms part of a broader revision of US sanctions and designations linked to the country. However, the decision does not automatically lift the wider network of US restrictions imposed on Syria under other legal authorities.

The move follows Washington’s broader policy shift toward Damascus, including its decision last year to revoke the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation for al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham [HTS].

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the memo revoking the designation after US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria as part of efforts to unwind elements of the country’s economic isolation.

HTS was previously affiliated with al-Qaeda in Syria before distancing itself from the organization. The policy shift followed Trump’s meeting with Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh in May, where Trump announced that Washington would lift sanctions on Syria.

Meanwhile, the White House said Washington would monitor Damascus on several issues, including normalization with “Israel,” the presence of foreign armed groups, and the expulsion and banning of Palestinian Resistance groups.

US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack has also acknowledged that Washington is seeking to push Syria toward normalization with “Israel,” while US officials have backed talks between Damascus and "Tel Aviv".