he United States said Wednesday 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The step came as President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey with Sharaa, a former jihadist who has sought to recast himself as a unifying figure after the 2024 toppling of the Assad family, which ruled with an iron fist for a half century.<\/p>\n
“This is yet another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness,” Rubio said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people,” he said.<\/p>\n
Trump’s embrace of Sharaa comes despite misgivings from Israel, which has repeatedly launched airstrikes in Syria, one of its historic adversaries.<\/p>\n
Trump had earlier publicly pressed for Syria to make peace with Israel but went ahead with the delisting decision despite a lack of tangible progress.<\/p>\n
Rubio said in his statement that “a stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the entire world.”<\/p>\n
Syria is seeking economic support to rebuild after years of brutal war that helped rise to the Islamic State extremist group and generated a major refugee crisis.<\/p>\n
Meeting in Ankara with Sharaa, who has traded his guerrilla fatigues for a suit, Trump said, “He’s doing an unbelievable job in unifying Syria. What a job he’s doing.”<\/p>\n
“Syria was a mess with what happened with the previous government,” Trump said.<\/p>\n
Last year Trump signed\u00a0an executive order terminating a US sanctions program on\u00a0Syria, allowing an end to the country’s isolation from the international financial system.<\/p>\n
Several Saudi firms are planning billion-dollar investments as part of Riyadh’s efforts to support its recovery, while other Gulf states have also pledged financial assistance.<\/p>\n
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