US removes Syria from key Terrorism list in 47yrs

On Monday, the United States officially removed Syria from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST), ending a 47-year classification that had hindered the country's economic growth and reintegration into the global community. This decision was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who authorized the rescission after completing the required 45-day Congressional notification period.

The US also revoked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's (HTS) designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) during these actions. These historic steps were taken by the Trump administration to provide the Syrian people with an opportunity for prosperity, according to Rubio.

Rubio attributed the decision to the Syrian government's efforts under President Ahmed al-Sharaa to distance itself from acts of international terrorism, noting that Syria joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November and conducted operations against ISIS, al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Iran-aligned groups.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibawi welcomed the move, calling it a "historic milestone" for the Syrian people and expressing gratitude to the US and its officials for their contributions to the decision. He emphasized that the designation was never chosen by the Syrian people and did not reflect the nation's history or commitment to international peace and security.

President Donald Trump shared Shaibawi's message, thanking the US and its officials for removing Syria from the SST list.