Washington Initiates Removal of Syria from Terrorism Sponsorship List

Damascus has expressed approval of Washington's announcement to begin the process of removing Syria from the list of states designated as sponsors of terrorism. Officials and analysts noted that this move could facilitate investments and eliminate obstacles to Syria's integration into the global financial system.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the initiation of procedures to delist Syria from this designation, which has been in place for decades. This action represents new American support for the transitional phase led by President Ahmed Al-Shar’a. The procedure will take effect within 45 days unless Congress rejects it, a scenario considered unlikely.

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani expressed gratitude toward the U.S. administration for the decision. In a post on the platform X on Wednesday, he stated, "We have closed a dark chapter in Syria’s history by lifting the classification imposed due to the policies of the former regime."

The U.S. restrictions on Syria date back to 1979 when Washington added Syria to the list of states sponsoring terrorism, accusing it during former President Hafez Al-Assad’s era of supporting Palestinian armed factions and others in Lebanon.

Sanctions gradually expanded, especially following the enactment of the Syria Accountability Act in 2003, reaching their peak after the outbreak of conflict in 2011. These measures targeted officials, government entities, and sectors including finance, oil, trade, and investment.

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Yassar Barniya commented on Facebook that the decision "prepares the ground for boosting investment, accelerating economic recovery, and reintegrating Syria into the global economy."

Since assuming power in December 2024, President Ahmed Al-Shar’a has worked on restoring relations with the United States after years of estrangement during the previous administration.

During his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, Al-Shar’a remarked that lifting sanctions "is appreciated and thanked by the Syrian people."

Economic advisor and academic Ziad Arabsh told Agence France-Presse that the American decision marks a "pivotal shift in economic direction." He added that a "permanent removal of the designation would eliminate the largest legal barrier to Syria’s integration into the global financial and trade systems."

Arabsh noted that although sanctions have been gradually eased since last year, "most international banks still treated Syria as a high-risk country." He explained that maintaining the designation created uncertainty and continued legal restrictions, particularly concerning aid, financial transactions, and certain exports.

The World Bank has estimated the cost of rebuilding Syria at over $216 billion. However, foreign investment and capital inflows remain slow despite relative stability.

The war and sanctions have obstructed the rehabilitation of service facilities and infrastructure, rendering dealings with the Syrian banking sector impossible due to its exclusion from international markets following the freezing of the central bank's assets and prohibitions on transactions with it.

Central Bank Governor Mohammad Safwat Raslan welcomed the U.S. decision, considering it "opens wider prospects for investment, economic recovery, and Syria’s reintegration into the global economy."

The American move also lifts the unofficial ban on access to U.S. software and artificial intelligence tools. For years, the U.S. sanctions regime affected digital services in Syria, preventing users from accessing or easily using platforms such as Netflix, Zoom, ChatGPT, and app stores.

In many cases, these applications not only blocked service access from Syrian internet addresses but also removed Syria entirely from the list of available countries during registration, payment, or residence selection.

Separately, Syria announced the dismantling of cells affiliated with the ISIS organization and the arrest of a prominent leader.