World
US to delist Syria as state sponsor of terror, in new boost to Sharaa
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday informed his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa that he had decided to remove the country from the US list of designated state sponsors of terrorism.
“I promised to remove all barriers stopping you from rebuilding your country, and very soon, you will finally be able to do so,” Trump wrote in a letter to Sharaa that a senior US administration official said was handed to the Syrian leader after their meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey.
“We have US companies ready to invest in Syria and help make your country greater and more prosperous than ever before,” Trump added in the letter.
Meeting Sharaa in Ankara, Trump complimented the Syrian leader, who was a commander of Al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front in Syria before cutting ties with the group in 2016. He then led a coalition of Islamist rebel factions in late 2024 to topple Assad.
“He’s respected by everybody, including me,” Trump said. “He’s doing an unbelievable job in unifying Syria. What a job he’s doing.”
“Syria was a mess with what happened with the previous government,” Trump added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally informed Congress of the long-expected move, which will be effective in 45 days unless lawmakers take the unlikely step of blocking it.
“This is yet another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness,” Rubio said in a statement.
“Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people,” he said.
Trump’s embrace of Sharaa, a former jihadist who has sought to recast himself as a unifying figure, comes despite misgivings from Israel.
Trump had previously publicly pressed for Syria to make peace with Israel but went ahead with the delisting decision despite a lack of tangible progress.
Rubio said in his statement that “a stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the entire world.”
A year ago, Trump started lifting most sanctions on Syria after Turkey and Saudi Arabia both encouraged him to meet Sharaa.
The United States listed Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979. The designation creates legal risks to working in Syria for businesses, especially American ones or those with transactions in the world’s largest economy.
