The United States formally removed Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list on August 24, 2026, ending a designation in place since 1979, according to multiple reports [1][3][6]. The Treasury Department simultaneously revoked the terrorist designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the faction led by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa [1][4][6]. The move followed a 45-day congressional review period initiated in July, during which no lawmakers moved to block the rescission [21][22][23]. Syrian official Jihad Maqdisi, advisor for American affairs at the Foreign Ministry, explained that the end of the review period allowed the US administration to proceed with the final executive step [21].
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the action was "taken in recognition of the positive actions taken and further commitments" by the Syrian government to distance itself from international terrorism, including joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS [1][7]. Rubio described the delisting as giving Syrians "a path to prosperity" [3][4][8]. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the action "will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability" [1][3][23]. US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack called it "a decisive step in Syria's remarkable journey from isolation to partnership, and from a source of terrorism to a committed partner in the global fight against it" [1][10]. President Donald Trump, who met al-Sharaa at the NATO summit in Ankara and formally kickstarted the removal process, wrote to the Syrian president that he had promised to remove all obstacles preventing Syria from rebuilding and that US companies were ready to invest [14][15][20].
Syrian officials across the government hailed the decision. President al-Sharaa said "Syria is shedding a dark stain from its shoulders and tearing up with its own hands a page from its painful past, to move into a new space of development, reconstruction and building" [13]. He thanked Trump for what he called a historic decision [7][13]. Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani described the delisting as a "historic milestone" reflecting the new Syrian state's commitment to international peace and security [4][8][12]. Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh called it "a major and historic success for Syrian diplomacy" [1][10], and Central Bank Governor Safwat Raslan said it was "a historic step that restores the country to its natural place in the global economic system" [1][4].
The US Treasury Department stressed that the removal does not constitute blanket amnesty. The department stated that lifting restrictions "does not change Treasury's posture with regards to countering global terrorism and our commitment to hold bad actors in Syria accountable" [4][8][11].
Reporting from the BBC and Iran International framed the delisting as part of a broader US strategy to pull Syria away from Russian, Chinese, and Iranian influence [3][19]. Iran International reported that Damascus agreed to sharply reduce Russian oil imports during negotiations with Washington [19]. With Syria's removal, Iran, Cuba, and North Korea remain on the state sponsors of terrorism list [19].
The delisting's economic implications drew divergent assessments. Steve Lutes of the US Chamber of Commerce said the delisting, combined with the repeal of the Caesar Act, would provide American businesses with greater clarity and predictability [25]. Alex Zerden of Capitol Peak Strategies said the US cannot compel private businesses to operate in Syria and that Gulf businesses have a different risk appetite and commercial relationships [25]. Saudi Arabia had already signed multibillion-dollar investment deals with Syria in aviation, energy, real estate, and telecommunications before the formal delisting [26]. Benjamin Feve of Karam Shaar Advisory said those deals "matter far more as a political signal than as an economic game changer in the short term" [26]. Natasha Hall, a fellow at Chatham House, described the delisting's impact as "earth-shifting" for Syria's economic recovery [15]. The Syrian American Council called the move "a clear win for US policy" from a national security perspective [15].
A Syrian opposition figure offered a more cautious assessment. Bassam Al-Kuwatli, leader of the Syrian Liberal Party, welcomed the removal as helpful for banking access but warned it is "not enough" to guarantee economic recovery without structural changes such as the rule of law and separation of powers [27].
The diplomatic thaw unfolded alongside continued Israeli military operations inside Syria. Israeli-oriented coverage framed the delisting against a backdrop of Israeli strikes on Syrian territory, including an attack on the Abu al-Duhur airbase [5][15][16][18][20]. US Envoy Barrack called the Israeli strike "serious and worrying" and an "unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability" [5][15]. The Syrian government called the strike a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty [5]. France 24 reported that US-mediated talks between Syria and Israel in Jordan addressed de-escalation, involving foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs, with discussions on establishing a joint operations room [5].
On the same day as the delisting, a Damascus criminal court sentenced former Grand Mufti Ahmad Hassoun to life imprisonment for endorsing barrel-bomb attacks on civilians [24]. Head Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan stated that the official religious establishment under the former regime justified the use of barrel bombs targeting civilian areas, violating international humanitarian law [24]. Human Rights Watch welcomed the new Syrian authorities' prioritization of justice but cautioned that accountability processes must not be selective or one-sided and should address institutional responsibility for past abuses [28].
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for the lifting of remaining sanctions on Syria [30]. Turkish Ambassador to Damascus Nuh Yilmaz said the delisting process had reached its final stages and that the lifting of remaining sanctions would lead to improvements in finance and insurance sectors and open the door for foreign investment [22].