Syria off US terror blacklist after nearly 50 years as Trump admin clears investment hurdle

The United States on Monday formally removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move Secretary of State Marco Rubio said eliminates the final major barriers to investment and economic recovery in the country.

Rubio said in a statement that he had authorized the formal rescission after a mandatory 45-day congressional notification period ended.

President Donald Trump had initiated the countdown in July after confirming to Congress that Syria’s government had ceased supporting acts of international terrorism.

"I have also delisted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)," Rubio said Monday.

FORMER ASSAD-ERA PRISON CHIEF CONVICTED OF TORTURE IN US FEDERAL COURT, MARKING A HISTORIC FIRST The actions, he said, represent "another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity." Rubio said Washington had taken unprecedented steps over the past year to provide sanctions relief to the Syrian people.

He pointed to Trump’s June 2025 executive order, "Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions," which accelerated sanctions relief by terminating the Syria Sanctions Program and the national emergency with respect to Syria while directing reviews of other Syria-related sanctions and terrorist designations.

"These actions were all taken in recognition of the positive actions taken and further commitments by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa to fully distance Syria from acts of international terrorism," Rubio said of the Syrian government.

Al-Sharaa ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 in an offensive led by HTS rebels.

Syria had been on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list since 1979, with the designation in force throughout al-Assad’s rule.

BRIEF ALCOHOL BAN IN DAMASCUS SPARKS CONCERNS ABOUT PRESIDENT AL-SHARAA'S VISION FOR SYRIA "In the past year, the Government of Syria has taken significant steps to counterterrorism, to include formally joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November and conducting operations to disrupt the terror networks of ISIS, al-Qa’ida, Hizballah, and Iran-aligned groups," Rubio said.

He added that rescinding Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and HTS’ designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist "eliminates the final major barriers for private-sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria’s economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy." EVANGELICAL LEADER SAYS US MUST PROTECT SYRIAN CHRISTIANS FROM ATTACKS BY JIHADI TERRORISTS Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told Reuters on Aug.

22 that lifting the designation would help restore Syria’s links to the global financial system and encourage investment following nearly 14 years of war.