United States Removes Syria from State Sponsor of Terrorism List, Lifting Longstanding Sanctions

The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that Syria has been removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, fulfilling a pledge made by President Donald Trump to grant the post-Assad government sanctions relief, according to Anadolu News Agency. Under the revised designation, Syria is no longer restricted by the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations, as confirmed by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The Treasury’s office also revoked the al-Nusrah Front’s (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) status as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization and removed it from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list. As a result, General License 25—previously authorizing transactions related to the group—was terminated on the grounds that it is now “no longer necessary.”

Trump formally notified Congress of the removal on July 8 after convening with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Ankara. Syria’s designation, in place since 1979, has persisted alongside only Cuba, North Korea, and Iran. The label historically constrained Western security aid, financial transfers, and foreign investment in Damascus.

Formed as a key opposition faction to Bashar Assad’s regime during the Syrian civil war, al-Sharaa led Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham until his rise to Syria’s presidency following Assad’s removal in late 2024. The policy shift aligns with efforts to stabilize Syria under Sharaa’s leadership. The Syrian president’s November 2025 White House visit—the first by a Syrian leader since 1946—preceded Washington’s reversal of Caesar Act sanctions in May, further underscoring shifting U.S. policy toward the war-torn nation.

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