US terror list removal 'shakes off dark stain' from Syria. Syrian president

Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa hailed Washington's decision to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, in another step toward major sanctions relief amid Damascus' efforts to rebuild the country after years of civil war.

"Today, Syria shakes off a dark stain and tears away a painful chapter of its past to embark on a path of development, reconstruction and rebuilding," al-Sharaa said in a speech early Tuesday.

Washington's decision on Monday rescinded a decades-old designation that came with severe economic restrictions, marking another step in warming ties between the countries following the 2024 ouster of longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

The US Treasury Department announced corresponding sanctions relief.

Al-Sharaa expressed his "many thanks to the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and to all the friendly and supportive nations that stood by us".

The US Department of State also revoked its designation of the al-Nusra Front — later known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — as a global terrorist organisation. Al-Sharaa led the group which spearheaded the blitz offensive that toppled al-Assad.

It was formerly the branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria before breaking ties with it in 2016.

Syria's new authorities are trying to attract investment to support the country and rebuild its infrastructure, heavily damaged by more than a decade of civil war.