US set to lift Syria's terror designation after 47 years

WASHINGTON — The United States is expected to formally remove Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism on Monday, a step that paves the way for greater commercial investment in the war-torn country.

A congressional review period expired on Friday without an attempt by lawmakers to block the rescission. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US official said the SST removal was planned for Monday. 

Syria was one of four countries on the State Department’s SST list along with Cuba, Iran and North Korea. Imposed on Syria in 1979, the designation carried restrictions on US foreign assistance, defense sales and the export of certain dual-use goods.  

Following a meeting between President Donald Trump and his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara last month, the Trump administration informed Congress that it would be lifting Syria’s SST designation following a 45-day notification period.  

Sharaa, a former rebel leader once designated as a terrorist by the US government, led a coalition of armed groups that toppled former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Trump has embraced Sharaa’s new government and pledged to lift all US sanctions on the country during the pair’s initial meeting in May 2025.

Over the past year, the Trump administration has rescinded layers of US sanctions through executive orders, eased export controls, revoked the terror designation of Sharaa’s former militant group and worked with Congress to lift Syrian sanctions under the Caesar Act. 

The SST label was a key legal reason many tech products including equipment and software require licenses to export to Syria, even after Washington has relaxed broader sanctions on the country. A second US official said the Commerce Department could issue new guidance on export controls related to Syria by the end of the month, but cautioned that the process may take longer.