Middle East — 2026-07-11

Trump Formally Notifies Congress of Intent to Remove Syria from State Sponsor of Terrorism List

BLUFRescission of Syria's terrorism designation, likely by late September 2026, would eliminate the last major legal obstacle to Western investment and security cooperation with al-Sharaa's government.

President Trump informed Congress on July 8 of his administration's intent to rescind Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, opening a 45-day pre-notification review period before removal takes effect, the State Department said 1. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited Trump's June 2025 executive order directing sanctions relief, counterterrorism actions by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government, and al-Sharaa's formal assurances that Syria will not support international terrorism 12. The notification followed a meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, where Trump told reporters "I think I will" when asked about lifting the designation, and Rubio confirmed no objections on the spot 3. Syria was first designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 34; Central Bank of Syria governor Safwat Raslan called the rescission a "positive turning point" for economic recovery 3.

Analysis
Rescission is likely to take effect by September 30 absent a blocking resolution during the 45-day pre-notification window that began July 8, with bipartisan congressional support, including from Democrats who had pushed for delisting, narrowing that risk. Removal would clear the last major legal barrier to Western investment, banking access, and defense-related exports for al-Sharaa's government, letting firms such as Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and Nokia finalize existing Syria agreements once the designation lifts. Moderate confidence reflects reliance on al-Sharaa's unverified counterterrorism assurances, though a primary State Department release anchors convergent, independently reported secondary coverage with no contradiction. The move may serve broader US aims of cementing influence over Damascus and countering Iranian and Russian inroads as much as reflecting a genuine counterterrorism reassessment, formalizing intent Trump voiced at the NATO summit into Rubio's official notification.

4 sources

Initiating Rescission Process of Syria's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism - U.S. Department of State
Rubio makes it official: Trump will remove Syrian terrorism designation - Semafor
Trump tells Congress he intends to lift Syria's terrorism designation - UPI
US moves to rescind Syrias designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism - Foundation for Defense of Democracies