U.S. Removes Syria From List of State Sponsors of Terrorism

The U.S. State Department removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday night, according to an announcement by the U.S. Treasury Department. The move, first announced earlier this year, was subject to congressional review before it could be implemented.

The development comes amid growing ties between Washington and Syria’s new leadership. Earlier today, U.S. President Donald Trump reposted on Truth Social an older post by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, in which he appears alongside Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. In the post, the minister welcomed the removal of the designation and expressed his appreciation to the U.S. administration for the decision.

The Syrian foreign minister wrote: "Under the direction of His Excellency President Ahmad al-Sharaa, we have closed a dark chapter in Syria’s history by removing the designation imposed on it because of the policies of the ousted regime since 1979."

He later personally thanked senior U.S. administration officials whom he said helped make the move possible: "All thanks and appreciation to the United States, under the leadership of President Trump, for this decision; to my friend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio; to the dear ambassador Tom Barrack; and to everyone who stood by Syria."

The American decision comes at a time when the Trump administration is also pressuring Israel regarding its military presence in Syria. Last month, during a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said that Israel should begin withdrawing its forces from Syrian territory and urged Netanyahu to take similar action in Lebanon.

The IDF currently controls large parts of southern Syria and southern Lebanon. According to the government, the military presence in these areas is necessary to prevent the possibility of another invasion similar to the October 7 attack. But officials in Washington have expressed reservations about Israel’s continued presence. An American official said that Trump made clear to Netanyahu that the presence of IDF forces in Syria is creating tensions and could lead to further escalation in the region.