Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Syria hails US terrorism-list removal
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Tuesday welcomed the United States' removal of Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list, calling it a major sanctions relief step for reconstruction after years of war.
“Today, Syria shakes off a dark stain and tears away a painful chapter of its past to embark on a path of development, reconstruction and rebuilding,” Sharaa said. He thanked US President Donald Trump and countries that supported Syria.
Washington's decision on Monday rescinded a decades-old designation that carried severe economic restrictions. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move would help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability. The Treasury said, however, that removing restrictions on Syria did not change its commitment to countering global terrorism and holding bad actors in Syria accountable.
The US Department of State also revoked its designation of al-Nusra Front, later known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as a global terrorist organisation. Sharaa led HTS, which spearheaded the offensive that toppled longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024. HTS was formerly Al-Qaeda's branch in Syria before breaking ties with it in 2016.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move gave Syria “a path to prosperity” and removed major barriers to private-sector investment, economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani called the delisting a “historic milestone,” and Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh called it a success for Syrian diplomacy, according to the official news agency SANA.
Syria's new authorities have been trying to mend ties with Washington and attract foreign investment for post-war reconstruction. The World Bank estimates reconstruction will cost more than $216 billion.
Ammar Youssef, a commercial law expert and economic analyst, said the step could pave the way for banks to open branches in Syria, for banking transactions and transfers with other countries, and for essential technologies and software to enter the country. He said companies' and governments' responses remained to be seen.
The United States listed Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979, when Hafez al-Assad ruled the country. Sanctions were expanded in later years, particularly after the repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011 that led to the Syrian civil war. Turkey, a key backer of Syria's new authorities, welcomed the US decision.
Update
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move would help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability.
The US Treasury said the removal of restrictions does not change its commitment to countering global terrorism and holding bad actors in Syria accountable.
The World Bank estimates Syria's reconstruction will cost more than $216 billion.
Commercial law expert Ammar Youssef said the decision could open the way for bank branches, transactions, transfers and essential technologies in Syria.
The item adds historical context on Syria's 1979 listing and later sanctions expansions.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 August 2026 at 13:15:41 UTC.
Update
Turkey's foreign ministry welcomed the US decision to remove Syria from the terrorism sponsor list.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 August 2026 at 06:59:32 UTC.
Update
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hailed the US removal of Syria from the state sponsors of terrorism list in an early Tuesday speech.
Sharaa thanked US President Donald Trump and countries that supported Syria.
Sharaa said Syria had shaken off a dark stain and was beginning a path of development, reconstruction and rebuilding.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 August 2026 at 06:18:42 UTC.
Update
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the delistings gave Syrians “a path to prosperity.”
The Treasury Department said sanctions relief was in line with Trump's promise but did not change its posture on countering global terrorism.
The item adds background that the United States announced in July its intent to delist Syria and that Trump met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 20:44:59 UTC.
Update
Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani called the US delisting a historic milestone.
Al-Shaibani said the designation was tied to the former regime and was never the choice of the Syrian people.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 19:58:54 UTC.
Update
Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh called Washington's delisting a major and historic success for Syrian diplomacy.
Barnieh said the move opened a door to Syria's integration into the global economic and financial system, investment, modern technologies and development opportunities.
US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack called the end of the designation a decisive step in Syria's journey from isolation to partnership.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 19:38:45 UTC.
Update
The US Department of State also revoked its designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, as a global terrorist organization.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the delistings removed what he called the final major barriers to private sector investment in Syria.
HTS was formerly Al-Qaeda's branch in Syria and broke ties with the jihadist group in 2016.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 19:38:24 UTC.
Update
Syria's central bank governor was identified as Safwat Raslan.
Raslan called the removal a historic step that restores Syria to what he called its natural place in the global economic system.
Raslan said the central bank was working to build a modern and reliable financial system.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 18:47:14 UTC.
Update
Syria's central bank head hailed the removal of Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 18:39:21 UTC.
Update
The Treasury Department said the sanctions relief was in line with President Donald Trump's promise to deliver relief to Syria.
The Treasury Department said removing restrictions on Syria did not change its stance on countering global terrorism or holding bad actors in Syria accountable.
HTS was formerly Al-Qaeda's branch in Syria, broke ties with the group in 2016 and sought to soften its image.
The United States had announced in July that it intended to delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism.
President Donald Trump met Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 18:31:39 UTC.
Update
The US Department of State revoked the designation of al-Nusrah Front as a specially designated global terrorist organization.
The Treasury Department followed with sanctions relief.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the action would help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability.
The designation being rescinded was described as decades old and as having severely impeded investment.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 August 2026 at 18:08:19 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The scale and timing of any new investment or banking activity after the US decision remain unclear.
Companies' and governments' responses to the delisting remain to be seen.
Source
AFP news report published on .