U.S. moves to remove Syria from terror list
U.S. President Donald Trump has informed Congress of his administration’s intent to remove Syria from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision followed a 45-day pre-notification period and marked a major step in renewed relations between Washington and Damascus.
"Today, President Trump informed Congress of his administration's intent to rescind Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), following a 45-day pre-notification period. This is yet another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness," Rubio said.
According to Rubio, lifting restrictions on Syria would “unlock international trade and investment,” help the country rebuild and “open up a new chapter for the Syrian people.”
“A stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the entire world,” he said.
The State Department said the rescission follows Trump’s June 30, 2025, executive order on sanctions relief for Syria, as well as counterterrorism steps taken by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa and formal assurances that Damascus will not support international terrorism in the future.
Trump met Al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara earlier Wednesday. Asked whether he would remove Syria from the list, Trump replied: “I think I will, why wouldn’t I? He’s done a great job.”
REPORTER: Are you going to remove Syria from the state-sponsor of terrorism list?@POTUS: "I think I will, yeah... Why wouldn't I? He's done a great job." pic.twitter.com/K3X1NLdETa
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026
Syria has been listed as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1979. The designation restricts U.S. assistance, financial transactions and investment. Its removal would require a mandatory congressional review period before taking effect.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full trade embargo on Spain after Madrid refused to allow U.S. forces to use its military bases for operations related to strikes on Iran.
