'Earth shifting': Trump begins process to remove Syria from state sponsors of terrorism list
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Yasmine El-Sabawi
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Wed, 07/08/2026 - 19:30
The announcement follows Trump's meeting with his Syrian counterpart on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Ankara
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Nato summit at Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, on 8 July 2026 (Saul Lobe/AFP)
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In what is arguably the most impactful deliverable from President Donald Trump's trip to Ankara, Turkey, this week, the US on Wednesday formally began the process of removing Syria from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST).
There are only four countries on that list: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria, which was added in 1979.
"This is yet another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness," US Secretary of State Marco 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. A stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbours benefits not only the region, but the entire world."
The move primarily unlocks export restrictions on defence-related items and allows for the US to deliver more foreign aid, which could include things like support for the Syrian military and local police forces, as the country leaves behind 14 years of civil war.
Natasha Hall, associate fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, described the impact to Middle East Eye as "earth-shifting" for Syria.
"That was kind of one of the final barriers to Syria's economic recovery," she said.
The Syrian American Council, which actively pushed for the de-listing, said it was "grateful" for the move.
"This is a clear win for US policy... from just the American national security perspective," the group's grassroots officer, Alberto Hernandez, told MEE. "This is the right way for engagement."
To trigger the change, Trump informed Congress on Wednesday of his intent to rescind Syria’s designation, following a 45-day pre-notification period.
"The Republican Party establishment tends to, whether they like it or not, sort of go along with what the Trump administration declares, and that's been, for the most part, the case," Hall told MEE, referring to the majority of lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Among Democrats, Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren jointly wrote to Trump last week to urge him to remove Syria from the SST, noting that "the designation represents the most significant remaining legal impediment to Syria’s reconstruction".
Shaheen is the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
'A significant milestone'
Rubio said he has received "formal assurances" from Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa that he "will not support acts of international terrorism in the future".
The SST announcement came just hours after Trump lavished rare praise on Sharaa on Wednesday, calling him "fantastic" and "highly respected", as the two leaders met on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey.
The meeting itself is a win for Sharaa, who was first introduced to Trump a little over a year ago in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before finding himself in the Oval Office exchanging gifts with the US president by November.
No Syrian leader - and certainly not one with Sharaa's past as a US-designated terrorist - had been in the White House in decades.
Trump lavishes praise on 'fantastic' and 'highly respected' Sharaa
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Wednesday's opportunity arose because the Turks have been at the helm of Sharaa's rise to power since December 2024, as they are keen on a neighbouring Syria that falls within their sphere of influence.
Trump's swift embrace of Sharaa has been one of the standout foreign policy moves of the past year, and one that perhaps no other US president from either party would have taken on, Hall told MEE.
But while most Syrians will celebrate the SST announcement, she added, "I think many in civil society are disappointed that there wasn't more of an emphasis on inclusion, on accountability, on some of the other things that they've been fighting for for a long time," as they come out of the Bashar al-Assad era.
But with the US under the Trump administration shifting its primary focus to Latin America and China, Hernandez insisted that Wednesday's announcement is the only way to ensure everybody wins.
"If the Middle East is unstable and requires US military or political handholding, that is to our collective countries' detriment. So for Syria to be strong and stable, that benefits the US national security interests," Hernandez said.
The rescission follows Trump’s 30 June 2025 executive order directing sanctions relief for Syria, the positive changes and counterterrorism actions taken by the Syrian government under Sharaa, and formal assurances provided by Damascus.
"Today marks a significant milestone in the revived US-Syria bilateral relationship and in Syria’s history as a nation. We commend the government of Syria for charting a new course and look forward to enhancing our partnership with Syria and its people," Rubio said.
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