The American approach toward Syria has shifted in recent weeks from lifting sanctions to initiating procedures to remove it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism — a step welcomed by Damascus, which described it as the beginning of a new phase of economic recovery and reconstruction. Washington said the move would open the door to international trade and investment, nearly five decades after Syria was added to the US list.
Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement yesterday welcoming the United States' announcement that it had begun procedures to remove Syria from the state sponsors of terrorism list. The ministry said the announcement — which came following a meeting between Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 36th NATO summit in Ankara — represents "an important development" in the trajectory of Syrian-American relations, built on dialogue, mutual respect, and shared interests.
The ministry said that removing Syria's designation, alongside ending sanctions, would enhance opportunities for economic recovery, pave the way for reconstruction, and encourage trade and investment.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, speaking at a joint press conference with Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, said that President Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Syria — along with the support of friends and partners in the region, particularly Turkey and the Gulf states — "has the appreciation and gratitude of the Syrian people."
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani wrote on the X platform that his country had closed "a dark chapter in Syria's history" with the removal of its state sponsor of terrorism designation, which had been imposed on it in 1979 due to the policies of the former regime.
Finance Minister Mohammed Yasser Barniyeh described the decision as "a historic moment" that lays the foundation for a new phase of economic growth by boosting investor confidence, accelerating economic recovery, and reintegrating Syria into the global economy.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late on Tuesday evening that President Donald Trump had formally notified Congress of the initiation of procedures to rescind Syria's state sponsor of terrorism designation, with the decision set to take effect after a mandatory 45-day review period.
Rubio said in a statement that the decision came following "formal assurances" provided by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa that Syria "will not support international terrorist activities in the future," adding that the step reflects the "positive changes" and "counter-terrorism measures" taken by the Syrian government.
He added that lifting the designation would open the door to international trade and investment, give Syria an opportunity to rebuild, and open a new chapter for the Syrian people, affirming that "Syria is stable, unified, and living in peace with itself and its neighbours" — something that serves the interests of the region and the world.
This step comes weeks after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on 30 June lifting the bulk of the US sanctions programme on Syria, while retaining sanctions on Bashar Al-Assad and his networks, human rights violators, those involved in captagon trafficking, terrorist organisations, and entities linked to Iran and its proxies.
Syria was placed on the state sponsors of terrorism list in 1979 under the late President Hafez Al-Assad, based on US assessments at the time regarding support for armed Palestinian factions, ties to armed groups operating in Lebanon, and allegations of providing support or sanctuary to groups designated as terrorist organisations by the United States.
In recent years, the designation has been linked, in the US position, to the Bashar Al-Assad regime's relationship with Iran and its support for Hezbollah.
If the removal process is completed, only three countries will remain on the US list: Iran, North Korea, and Cuba.
The move to remove Syria from the state sponsors of terrorism list is part of a series of successive US measures toward Damascus over recent months.
In November, the US Treasury Department removed President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab from its terrorist sanctions list, coinciding with a UN Security Council decision to remove both names from the ISIS and Al-Qaeda sanctions lists.
In December, President Trump signed the repeal of the Caesar Act, which had imposed sweeping sanctions on the Syrian economy since 2019, after it was passed by Congress.
The World Bank estimates the cost of rebuilding Syria at approximately 216 billion dollars, making the attraction of financing and investment one of the most significant challenges facing the Syrian government.
While Damascus views the ending of sanctions and the removal of the state sponsor of terrorism designation as paving the way for reintegrating the country into the global economy, Washington affirms that these steps will open the door to trade, investment, and reconstruction.