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President Donald Trump has formally notified Congress of his administration's intent to strip Syria of its state sponsor of terrorism designation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday, setting in motion a 45-day process that could fundamentally reshape the relationship between Washington and Damascus.
The notification follows Trump's meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Ankara earlier the same day.
Asked whether he intended to remove Syria from the list, Trump was characteristically direct: "I think I will, why wouldn't I? He's done a great job," the president said, referring to al-Sharaa.
Syria has carried the state sponsor of terrorism label since 1979, placing it in a category currently shared only by Cuba, North Korea and Iran. The designation imposes sweeping restrictions on security assistance, financial transactions and foreign investment, effectively cutting the country off from major international economic activity.
Rubio framed the move in expansive terms, saying it would "unlock international trade and investment" and give Syria "a chance to rebuild." He added that "a stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the entire world."
The announcement represents the latest in a series of steps normalizing ties between Washington and Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government.
Al-Sharaa visited the White House last November, the first visit by a Syrian head of state since the country's independence in 1946. He had also met Trump in Riyadh in May 2025, shortly before Washington lifted the Caesar Act sanctions, which had targeted Assad-era officials and entities doing business with his government.
The SST designation, however, had remained in place, and its removal would mark a more fundamental legal shift in how the United States classifies Syria's government.
Under U.S. law, the administration must give Congress a 45-day pre-notification period before a state sponsor of terrorism designation can be formally rescinded. Rubio called Wednesday's notification "a significant milestone in the revived U.S.-Syria bilateral relationship," and said the administration commends Syria's new government "for charting a new course."
The designation's removal, if not blocked by Congress, would open the door to a broader economic relationship and potentially ease Syria's access to international financial institutions, which have largely remained closed to the country throughout decades of isolation.
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