US to remove Syria from terror blacklist, in new boost to Sharaa
The United States said on July 8 it will delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, a decades-old designation that severely impeded investment, in a new vote of confidence in leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Congress of the long-expected move, which will be effective in 45 days unless lawmakers take the unlikely step of blocking it.
The step came as President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Türkiye with Sharaa, a former jihadist who came to power after the 2024 toppling of the Assad family, which ruled with an iron fist for a half century.
"This is yet another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness," Rubio said in a statement.
