The United States announced the removal of Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that had been in place since 1979. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the action recognized steps taken by the Syrian government to distance itself from international terrorism. The Treasury Department noted that the removal would enable private sector investment and support economic stability. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani described the decision as a historic step and said the country would work to remove the effects of isolation. Earlier in 2024, the United States had removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from its global terrorist list and had lifted the designation of its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, from the list of specially designated global terrorists. The United States said it hopes to bring Syria into its diplomatic and economic orbit rather than that of Russia or China, though significant security and governance challenges remain. The removal leaves Syria as one of three remaining state sponsors of terrorism, alongside Cuba, North Korea and Iran. The situation in Syria remains volatile, with ongoing tensions between neighboring Israel and Turkey.