U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani meet in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)
The Trump administration has removed Syria from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, marking a breakthrough for the country, which has carried the label for some 46 years.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement formal Monday — 45 days after notifying Congress — to drop the designation for Syria, which is led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former terrorist who overthrew the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad.
Rubio also said the State Department would delist the political and paramilitary group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham as a specially designated global terrorist. Al-Sharaa led Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which helped topple al-Assad’s dictatorship in December 2024.
“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 changes. He added that the move would promote Syria’s economic recovery and “reintegration into the global economy.”
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Syria was put on the State Sponsor of Terrorism list in 1979. Now, only three countries remain on the U.S. list: Iran, Cuba and North Korea.
In October 2025, the World Bank estimated that Syria’s reconstruction would cost $216 billion.
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Tom Barrack, the special presidential envoy to Syria, posted on X that removing the state sponsor of terrorism designation is “another decisive step in Syria’s remarkable journey from isolation to partnership.”
“This is not simply the removal of a designation. It is another foundation stone in a new U.S.–Syria relationship built on shared interests, mutual security, and shared prosperity — and another example of @POTUS’s ‘security first, prosperity next’ vision becoming reality,” Barrack posted Monday.
The move had strong bipartisan support in Congress, with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina) — urging Rubio to delist Syria in a July letter.
“Syria’s SST designation represents the most significant remaining legal impediment to Syria’s reconstruction. Its removal could create new opportunity for foreign investment, economic development and capacity building to ensure the Syrians can remain capable and willing partners to the United States,” the lawmakers wrote.
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