U.S. Department of State

08/24/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/24/2026 13:09

Rescission of Syria’s Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism

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Rescission of Syria's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism

Press Statement

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

August 24, 2026

Today, I authorized the formal rescission of Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), following the conclusion of the mandatory 45-day Congressional notification period. I have also delisted Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's (HTS) designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). These actions represent another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity.

In the past year the Trump Administration has taken unprecedented steps to provide sanctions relief for the benefit of the Syrian people. The historic June 2025 Executive Order 'Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions' accelerated the process of sanctions relief for Syria, including by terminating the Syria Sanctions Program and the national emergency with respect to Syria, and directing reviews on various Syria-related sanctions and terrorist designations.

These actions were all taken in recognition of the positive actions taken and further commitments by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa to fully distance Syria from acts of international terrorism. In the past year, the Government of Syria has taken significant steps to counter terrorism, to include formally joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November and conducting operations to disrupt the terror networks of ISIS, al-Qa'ida, Hizballah, and Iran-aligned groups. Rescinding Syria's designation as an SST and HTS' designation as an SDGT eliminates the final major barriers for private sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria's economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy.

For a summary of U.S. sanctions and export control relief for Syria to date, please refer to the Tri-Seal Advisory published by U.S. Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and State.

U.S. Department of State published this content on August 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 24, 2026 at 19:09 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]