Trump promises Syrian president in private letter that he will remove Syria from terrorism sponsor list

The president Donald Trump confirmed in writing to his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, that he will remove the country from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. The letter was delivered following the bilateral meeting the two held on Wednesday in Ankara, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, and its contents were revealed by Reuters.

A senior official in the Trump administration confirmed the delivery of the document following the meeting between the two leaders. In it, Trump reminds Sharaa of a promise made months ago: “I promised to remove all barriers stopping you from rebuilding your country, and very soon, you will finally be able to do so.”

Trump has already notified Congress of the decision, which now has 45 days to review it before it takes effect. The designation as a state sponsor of terrorism restricts U.S. foreign assistance, defense exports, and certain financial transactions with the designated country.

The measure comes after a series of steps that Washington has been taking toward Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Last year, Trump signed an executive order that ended a sanctions program and allowed Syria to return to the international financial system. Saudi companies and other Gulf governments have already committed billions in investments for the country’s reconstruction.

The governor of the Syrian Central Bank, Safwat Raslan, welcomed the announcement on Telegram and stated that the measure expands investment opportunities and accelerates Syria’s reintegration into the global economy.

Sharaa led the al-Nusra Front—al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria—before breaking with the group in 2016. He later led the Islamist coalition that overthrew Assad in late 2024. Trump also praised his role in the fight against the Islamic State in the region: “He's respected by everybody, including me.”