--- title: "US Removes Syria from State Sponsor of Terrorism List and Delists HTS from Terrorist Designations" description: "On August 24, 2026, the United States removed Syria from the state sponsor of terrorism list and delisted HTS from the SDN sanctions list, while simultaneously imposing sanctions on two former members of the group. The measure is tied to Trump's promise and to Damascus's commitments regarding Russian oil." date: 2026-08-24T23:49:26.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/us-removes-syria-from-state-sponsor-of-terrorist-list-and-delists-hts tags: [syria, us-sanctions, hts, state-sponsor-terrorism, ofac, russian-oil, trump] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # US Removes Syria from State Sponsor of Terrorism List and Delists HTS from Terrorist Designations ![Syrian flag over Damascus as the US removes the state sponsor of terrorism designation](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/24/ssha-snyali-syriyu-iz-spiska-gosudarstv-sponsorov-terrorizma/ssha-snyali-syriyu-iz-spiska-gosudarstv-sponsorov-terrorizma-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The US removed Syria from the state sponsor of terrorism list and delisted HTS from the SDN list. - At the same time, sanctions were imposed on two former HTS members who had supported Al-Qaeda. - Iran, North Korea, and Cuba remain on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. - The lifting of sanctions is tied to Syria's commitments to reduce or abandon Russian oil. On August 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced two key steps toward unblocking relations with Damascus: the State Department removed Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group from the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. According to the department, these measures fulfill President Donald Trump's promise to ease sanctions pressure on Syria. Formally, HTS has been removed from the SDN — the list of individuals, companies, and organizations whose assets are frozen and with which the U.S. government prohibits transactions — as a global terrorist organization. ### What changes in the sanctions mechanism Removing the state sponsor of terrorism designation has direct legal consequences: previously, the Treasury Department could take action against organizations, individuals, and countries that engaged in commercial transactions with states included on that list. Following Syria's removal from the list, this instrument no longer applies to Damascus. The list of state sponsors of terrorism currently includes three countries: Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. Thus, Syria is leaving the closed club of the most tightly isolated regimes, paving the way for the normalization of financial and trade contacts with American counterparts. ### Dual logic: delisting HTS and new sanctions Paradoxically, at the same time as liberalizing its stance toward Damascus, Washington intensified targeted pressure: the United States imposed sanctions on two former HTS members who, according to U.S. authorities, continued to support the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. This step underscores that the demilitarization of the organization as a whole does not mean the automatic rehabilitation of all its former personnel: those responsible for ties with Al-Qaeda remain in the crosshairs. For Damascus, this is a signal that integration into the international system will be accompanied by demands to sever any residual links with radical structures. ### The oil context of the deal The easing of sanctions on Syria fits into a broader diplomatic trade. According to reports by Reuters and a number of Ukrainian and Russian media outlets, Damascus undertook to reduce or abandon imports of Russian oil in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions. According to sources, it was precisely this oil element that became one of the conditions allowing Washington to move toward removing the state sponsor of terrorism designation. Thus, the economic restructuring of Syria's energy flows has been tied to the political-sanctions track of relations with the United States. ### Contradictory data There is inconsistency in the wording regarding the parties' oil commitment. The Ukrainian outlet ukranews.com, citing Reuters, reports that Syria "committed" to abandoning oil imports from Russia in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Meanwhile, korrespondent.net uses softer wording — Syria is "ready" to abandon Russian oil — while gazeta.ru writes that Damascus is "ready to reduce" imports. In other words, some sources speak of a binding commitment, others of readiness or of a reduction rather than a full abandonment. Moreover, the primary source (giaoducthoidai.vn) records the fact of the designation's removal and HTS's delisting from the SDN, but does not disclose the details of the oil deal, so the exact scope and timeline of the oil-related obligations remain a matter of varying interpretations. ### Significance for the region Altogether, the August 24 announcement represents one of the most significant steps in the shift of U.S. policy toward Syria in recent years: the simultaneous removal of the state sponsor of terrorism designation, HTS's delisting from the SDN, and the maintenance of targeted sanctions against specific individuals form a hybrid model — "unblocking the state while controlling radical remnants." For the region, this potentially opens space for Damascus's economic reintegration, but the linkage to abandoning Russian oil makes the outcome of the deal dependent on geopolitical configurations and the parties' willingness to fulfill their commitments within the stated timeframes. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [US reverses its decision to include Syria on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.](https://www.vietnam.vn/ru/my-thu-hoi-quyet-dinh-xep-syria-vao-danh-sach-cac-quoc-gia-tai-tro-khung-bo) - Подтверждает отмену включения Сирии в список государств-спонсоров терроризма. - [Syria ready to abandon Russian oil — media](https://korrespondent.net/world/4899967-syryia-hotova-otkazatsia-ot-rossyiskoi-nefty-smy) - Использует формулировку «готова отказаться», что мягче, чем «обязалась». - [Syria commits to abandoning oil imports from Russia in exchange for lifting US sanctions, — Reuters](https://ukranews.com/news/1166760-siriya-obyazalas-otkazatsya-ot-importa-nefti-iz-rossii-v-obmen-na-otmenu-sanktsij-ssha-reuters) - Передаёт через Reuters об обязательстве Сирии по отказу от российской нефти; формулировка «обязалась» расходится с другими источниками. - [Media: Syria ready to reduce oil imports from Russia due to US](https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2026/08/04/29038999.shtml) - Говорит о готовности «сократить» импорт, а не о полном отказе — расхождение в масштабе обязательства. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What designation was removed from Syria on August 24, 2026? **A:** The U.S. State Department removed Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and OFAC delisted HTS from the SDN sanctions list. ### Q: Who remains on the list of state sponsors of terrorism? **A:** After Syria's removal, the list includes Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. ### Q: Did the US impose new sanctions at the same time? **A:** Yes, against two former HTS members who continued to support Al-Qaeda. ### Q: How is the lifting of sanctions linked to Russian oil? **A:** According to reports by Reuters and a number of media outlets, Damascus undertook commitments to reduce or abandon imports of Russian oil in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions; the exact wording differs across sources.