The Trump administration has removed Syria from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, marking a breakthrough for the country, which has carried the label for some 46 years.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement formal Monday — 45 days after notifying Congress — to drop the designation for Syria, which is led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former terrorist who overthrew the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad.
Rubio also said the State Department would delist the political and paramilitary group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham as a specially designated global terrorist. Al-Sharaa led Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which helped topple al-Assad’s dictatorship in December 2024.