US removes Syria from 'terrorist-supporting countries' list, HTS from 'Global Terrorist Organization' list

The United States has officially removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation the country had held since 1979. The announcement was made in a written statement by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, aligning with the policies of President Donald Trump regarding Syria.

In a related move, the U.S. also removed the militant group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). Consequently, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) within the Treasury Department removed HTS from its list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.

The U.S. administration had previously signaled its intention to remove Syria from the terrorism list in a notification to Congress in July. Despite this delisting, Syria is no longer alone on the list of state sponsors of terrorism; Iran, Cuba, and North Korea remain designated under this category.

The article notes that the U.S. initially added Syria to the list in 1979. The recent decisions signify a shift in U.S. policy concerning Syria and the designated terrorist organization HTS.