US: Syria no longer classified as a state sponsor of terrorism

TT

Published 2026-07-08 21:51

 

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP/TT

The US will no longer list Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced after the go-ahead from the US Congress.

The decision to remove Syria from the US official list of state sponsors of terrorism was announced shortly after an unofficial meeting in Ankara between Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

– It is another historic step by President Trump that gives the Syrian people a chance for success, Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.

Unless something unexpected happens, Syria will be removed from the list in 45 days. The US designation has been in effect since 1979.

The Trump administration began lifting sanctions on Syria about a year ago, following the fall of the Assad regime and al-Sharaa's complete reversal from jihadism.