Rubio rescinds Syria's state sponsor of terror designation after nearly 50 years

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(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of State is rescinding Syria’s state sponsor of terror designation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday.

“Today, I authorize the formal rescission of Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), following the conclusion of the mandatory 45-day Congressional notification period,” the secretary wrote in a statement. “I have also delisted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). These actions represent another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity.”

The Middle Eastern country has been designated a state sponsor of terror since Dec. 29, 1979, followed by Iran in 1984, North Korea in 2017 and Cuba in 2021.

Rubio noted the Trump administration’s move to “provide sanctions relief for the benefit of the Syrian people” over the last year. Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House in November 2025.

The Syrian president’s ascension to power was not without controversy, as a former member of al-Qaeda turned stateman. He headed the Hay’at Tahrir al Sham group, which was “delisted” as a terror group.

The U.S. has leaned on Syria to continue the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), after the U.S. completed its full military withdrawal from the country in April, marking more than a decade of fighting against ISIS.

Rubio credited the removal of the state sponsor designation in “recognition of the positive actions taken and further commitments by the Syrian government under” al-Sharaa “to fully distance Syria from acts of international terrorism.”

The secretary underscored Syria’s involvement in combating ISIS, as well as Iran’s terror proxy, Hezbollah.

“In the past year, the government of Syria has taken significant steps to counter terrorism, to include formally joining the global coalition to defeat ISIS, al-Qa’ida, Hizbollah, and Iran-aligned groups. Rescinding Syria’s designation as an SST and HTS’ designation as an SDGT eliminates the final major barriers for private sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria’s economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy,” Rubio concluded.

Syria earned its designation under the leadership of former President Hafez al-Assad, remaining under his son, Bashar al-Assad, before his government was overthrown in 2024. The younger Assad has reportedly found refuge in Russia since his government was overthrown.