The United States has removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, ending a designation that had remained in place for nearly five decades
and imposed significant restrictions on the country’s economic and financial ties. The US Department of State has also revoked its designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as a foreign terrorist organisation. The US Treasury Department has followed the move with sanctions relief for Syria. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measures were intended to encourage investment and support Syria’s political and economic stability. “Today’s action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability,” Bessent said in a statement. The Treasury Department said the decision was consistent with President Donald Trump’s commitment to provide sanctions relief to Syria. However, it stressed that lifting the restrictions does not signal a change in Washington’s approach to combating international terrorism. The department said it would continue to hold individuals and groups deemed responsible for destabilising activities in Syria accountable. HTS, previously known as al-Nusrah Front, was once affiliated with al-Qaeda in Syria. The group formally broke ties with al-Qaeda in 2016 and subsequently sought to reposition itself as a Syrian political and military force. The US had announced in July that it intended to remove Syria from the state sponsors of terrorism list, describing the move as a sign of confidence in President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his efforts to reshape the country following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024. The decision came after Trump met Sharaa on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey. Sharaa, a former jihadist leader, has since sought to present himself as a unifying figure during Syria’s political transition. The removal of the designation could ease some of the economic restrictions that have hindered investment and financial activity involving Syria, potentially opening the door for greater international engagement with the country.
