US Formally Rescinds Syria's State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation

The US State Department formally rescinded Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) on August 24, 2026, after the mandatory 45-day congressional notification period that followed President Trump's July 8 letter to Congress. Syria had held the designation since 1979; only Cuba, Iran, and North Korea remain listed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio simultaneously revoked the Specially Designated Global Terrorist designation for Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly al-Nusrah Front), citing 'positive actions taken and further commitments' by President Ahmad al-Sharaa to distance Syria from international terrorism. President al-Sharaa called the decision 'historic,' and Syria's finance minister described it as a 'major and historic success for Syrian diplomacy' expected to ease reconstruction financing and banking access.