Trump notifies Congress of plan to remove Syria from terrorism sponsor list

President Donald Trump has informed Congress that his administration intends to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), a major step in Washington’s revived relationship with Damascus under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The State Department said Wednesday that Trump notified Congress after a 45-day pre-notification period, citing sanctions relief ordered last year, counterterrorism actions by Syria’s government and formal assurances from Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa that Damascus will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.

“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,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “A stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the entire world.”

The planned removal is the latest sign of a revived U.S.-Syria relationship under al-Sharaa, who visited the White House in November for the first visit by a Syrian leader to the United States since Syria’s independence in 1946.

Al-Sharaa, a former commander of the Turkish-backed group Tahrir al-Sham, took power after opposition forces captured Damascus and Assad’s government collapsed in late 2024. His government has sought international recognition, reconstruction assistance and closer security cooperation with Western and regional partners.

The announcement came a day after two explosions in Damascus killed at least one person and injured 31 others during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Syria.