ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States is reviewing Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) following instructions from President Donald Trump, a State Department official told Rudaw on Thursday.
“As instructed by President Trump, the State Department is [currently] reviewing Syria's SST designation,” the official said. They added that “several steps would need to be taken by both the Department [of State] and the President should the decision be made to remove the SST designation.”
The official also highlighted the complex legal framework involved in rescinding Syria’s SST status, noting that “U.S. law establishes specific statutory criteria for rescinding an SST designation.
“Any action related to Syria’s status on the SST list would be based on the law and the criteria established by Congress,” the official concluded.
Syria’s designation as an SST has been in effect since 1979. The status was initially based on the regime of toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s support to groups like the Iran-aligned Lebanese Hezbollah movement, as well as its permissive stance toward other organizations labeled Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by the US State Department.
The SST designation imposes significant sanctions, including bans on defense exports and foreign assistance. Removing Syria from the list would lift the sanctions specifically tied to this status.
Bizhar Zubair contributed to this piece.
