President Donald Trump has formally begun the process of removing Syria from the United States list of state sponsors of terrorism. On Wednesday, Trump informed Congress of his decision to rescind the decades-old designation, a move that marks a major shift in Washington's policy toward Damascus.
The announcement came as President Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey. During the meeting, Trump told al-Sharaa that the move would help rebuild the war-ravaged country and cited al-Sharaa's efforts to unify the nation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally informed Congress of the move, which will become effective in 45 days unless lawmakers take the unlikely step of blocking it. This period requires Congress to conduct a review to make the decision final.
Rescinding the designation could help enable Syria's reintegration into the global economy as the country recovers from a nearly 14-year civil war.