President says Syria ‘shakes off’ past with removal from U.S. terror list

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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hailed on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) the United States' removal of his country from the state sponsors of terror list, a major sanctions relief step for a country aiming to boost post-war reconstruction.

"Today, Syria shakes off a dark stain and tears away a painful chapter of its past to embark on a path of development, reconstruction and rebuilding," Mr. Sharaa said in a speech.

Washington's decision on Monday (August 24) rescinded a decades-old designation that came with severe economic restrictions, marking another step in warming ties between the countries following the 2024 ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Mr. Sharaa expressed his "many thanks to the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and to all the friendly and supportive nations that stood by us".

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that Monday's (August 24) move "will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability".

But the Treasury stressed that its removal of restrictions on Syria "does not change Treasury's posture with regards to countering global terrorism and our commitment to hold bad actors in Syria accountable".

The U.S. Department of State also revoked its designation of the al-Nusra Front — later known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — as a global terrorist organisation. Mr. Sharaa led that group, which spearheaded the blitz offensive that toppled Assad.

It was formerly the branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria before breaking ties with it in 2016.

The United States listed Syria as a "state sponsor of terrorism" in 1979, accusing the country, then under the rule of Hafez al-Assad, father of Bashar, of supporting Palestinian militant groups and other armed movements in neighbouring Lebanon.

Sanctions were expanded in later years, particularly after the brutal repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011, leading to the Syrian civil war.

In recent years, Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism has been primarily linked to Assad's relationship with Iran and his support for Tehran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Mr. Sharaa and his government have been working to mend ties with Washington since toppling Assad and have been trying to attract foreign investment to support post-war reconstruction.

The World Bank estimates reconstruction to cost more than $216 billion.