Trump Moves to Rescind Syria's State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation

Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Congress on July 8, 2026 that President Trump had decided to rescind Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism — a status imposed on Syria in the late 1970s under Hafez al-Assad and the last major remaining western sanction on Damascus. Trump outlined the rescission process in a letter to al-Sharaa signed during the NATO summit in Ankara; the move now faces a 45-day congressional review window, which a Republican-controlled Congress is expected to approve. Analysts said the change would let Syria reconnect to the international banking system and unlock direct trade, though banking-infrastructure and investor-confidence hurdles remain.