DAMASCUS, Syria: President Ahmed al-Sharaa welcomed the removal of Syria from the terror list early Tuesday, August 25, after the United States ended the decades-old designation and announced related sanctions relief.
Al-Sharaa said the decision allowed Syria to close a difficult chapter and focus on development and reconstruction. He thanked US President Donald Trump and countries that supported Syria’s transition.
Washington announced the delisting on Monday, August 24. The US Department of the Treasury also announced corresponding sanctions relief.
The US Department of State separately revoked its terrorist designation of the al-Nusra Front, later known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
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Al-Sharaa previously led HTS, which spearheaded the 2024 offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. HTS had earlier emerged from al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria before breaking ties with the organisation in 2016.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision on Syria removed major barriers to private-sector investment and could support the Middle Eastern country’s economic recovery and reintegration.
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Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani called the delisting a “historic milestone.”
Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh said the move could strengthen Syria’s access to the global economic and financial system and support investment and technology transfers, according to state news agency SANA.
