Removing Syria’s US terrorism designation is ‘decisive step’ toward partnership, stability: US envoy

Removing Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism is a "decisive step" in the country's transition from isolation to partnership and from being viewed as a source of terrorism to becoming a committed partner in combating it, US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Monday.

Barrack made the remarks in a post on US social media company X after the US State Department formally announced that it had removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

He called the decision "another historic milestone" in US President Donald Trump's "bold vision to give Syria a chance," hailing it "another decisive step in Syria's remarkable journey from isolation to partnership, and from a source of terrorism to a committed partner in the global fight against it."

Barrack said the designation had served as "another wall separating the Syrian people from the investment, enterprise, and opportunity necessary to rebuild their nation," adding: "Today, another wall comes down."

With the designation removed, "capital can replace conflict, enterprise can replace isolation, and commerce can continue to triumph over chaos," he said.

Barrack, who also serves as ambassador to Türkiye, said the decision was not simply the removal of a restriction but "another foundation stone in a new U.S.-Syria relationship built on shared interests, mutual security, and shared prosperity."

He said the move demonstrated Trump's vision of "security first, prosperity next" vision becoming reality, adding: "Promises made. Promises kept. Syria has been given a chance — now the work is to turn that chance into enduring peace and prosperity."

Hours earlier, the US State Department announced that it had removed Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and revoked the designation of the al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization. The Treasury Department also endorsed the move.

Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham was one of the most prominent armed groups opposing Bashar al-Assad's forces during Syria's civil war. The group was led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, who became Syria's president after Assad's ouster in December 2024.

Syria had remained on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1979, during the decades-long rule of the former regime.

Damascus sees the removal of the designation as opening the way for greater economic transactions, investment, and international cooperation, as well as eliminating restrictions linked to the designation. Other US restrictions remain subject to separate legal processes.