WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of State on Monday removed Syria from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, according to a notice from the U.S. Treasury Department.
The department also revoked the designation of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaida-linked rebel group that played a dominant role in the formation of Syria's new government, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization. The Treasury Department concurrently removed HTS from its sanctions blacklist.
The Trump administration announced plans earlier this year to further ease restrictions on Syria. The decision to remove Syria from the terrorism list was subject to a congressional review period.
Syria had been designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism by Washington since 1979. The designation imposed restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, defense exports and certain financial transactions.
The Trump administration ended the broad U.S. sanctions program on Syria in July 2025, while retaining sanctions on former President Bashar al-Assad and his associates. ■
