US removes Syria from State Sponsors of Terrorism list: What it means for Damascus

The United States removed Syria from the list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism”, a decision Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hailed as “historic”. Syria had been placed on the list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism" in 1979, imposing significant restrictions on trade, investment and finance. The removal came on Monday after a 45-day congressional review period, triggered after the US President notified Congress on July 8 about his intention to rescind the label. The announcement also revoked the designation of al-Nusrah Front, the rebel group led by Al-Sharaa, as a “terrorist” organisation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the decision came after the "positive action" taken and “further commitments” by Al-Sharaa to fully distance Syria from international terrorism. Al-Sharaa welcomed the decision in a post on the social media platform X.

“I congratulate the Syrian people on the official removal of Syria's name from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and I thank His Excellency President Donald Trump for this historic decision, as well as all the brothers and friends who stood with Syria and the Syrians.”

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What does this mean for Syria?

The removal of Syria from the “State Sponsors of Terrorism” list paves the way for international legitimacy for Syria. This frees Syria from restrictions imposed by the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulation. It also extends a vote of confidence to foster commercial investment and restore political and economic stability. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said that removing this "last obstacle" would help Syria connect to the global financial and economic system and boost investment. "There is ​no longer any obstacle to investment, doing business and rebuilding economic life in Syria," he said. Only Cuba, Iran and North Korea remain on that list.