(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump said the US would remove Syria from the terrorism sanctions list as he met with the country’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
“I think I will. Why wouldn’t I? He’s done a great job,” Trump said Wednesday. “Yeah, I will.”
Trump offered fresh praise for the Syrian leader, a former jihadist who once had a $10 million US bounty on his head, welcoming him to the White House last year and providing relief for his country from decades-long economic sanctions. While Trump has lifted some restrictions on Syria, the country remains on the US State Department’s list of “state sponsors of terrorism.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement Wednesday said Trump had informed Congress of his intent to rescind Syria’s designation on the list “following a 45-day pre-notification period.”
“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,” Rubio said.
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The Trump administration’s moves have been part of a broader strategic pivot toward engaging the government in Damascus and helping al-Sharaa court international support to rebuild a nation shattered by its brutal civil war. The US has aligned with Turkey, the host of the NATO summit, to help reunify the country.
More broadly, Syria is a country where both the US and Iran have been jockeying for influence, complicating efforts by Washington to secure a broader peace with Tehran.
Trump’s efforts to help bolster al-Sharaa have drawn alarm from Israel, which has seen Damascus as a longtime adversary.
In a pointed jab last month, Trump expressed frustration at Israel’s military campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, suggesting that Syria might do a better job at fighting the militant group there. Al-Sharaa has said Damascus could support stability in Lebanon but ruled out military involvement.
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Israel has carried out military strikes against Syrian targets and tensions between the two countries rose late last year, with Damascus calling on its neighbor to withdraw troops and cease operations in its territory. Israel said it needs to keep them there to prevent attacks similar to the ones carried out by Hamas in Oct. 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.
Asked if he still wanted Syria to help with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Trump said “it could help.”
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Al-Sharaa once led an affiliate of al-Qaeda and was designated a terrorist by the US in 2013. He renounced his allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2016 and seized power from Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
His meetings on the sidelines of the NATO summit could further boost his international standing. Syria still faces many obstacles as it looks to rebuild from the civil war, including sectarian tensions, Islamic State threats and questions over Kurdish-held territories in addition to economic strains.
–With assistance from Courtney Subramanian and Eric Martin.
