President Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Wednesday at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, and told the assembled press that he was considering taking Syria off the state sponsors of terrorism list.
Al-Sharaa became transitional president after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. He is the former head of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that brought down Assad, and Trump thinks he’s been doing “a great job” since taking over:
REPORTER: Are you going to remove Syria from the state-sponsor of terrorism list?@POTUS: "I think I will, yeah... Why wouldn't I? He's done a great job." pic.twitter.com/K3X1NLdETa
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026
Not long after the meeting, the president followed through:
U.S. President Donald Trump has notified Congress of his decision to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, a senior U.S. administration official said on Wednesday.
The move requires Congress to conduct a 45-day review to make the decision final.
Trump, who had already terminated serious sanctions against Syria in June 2025, praised the Middle Eastern country’s colorful history and culture, saying the dark days of Assad are now in the past.
.@POTUS meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa: "Syria had one of the great cultures — the professors and lawyers and doctors — it had one of the great cultures of any country, not just the Middle East, and then it went through this terrible period of time.... They're proud… pic.twitter.com/JWJJEjOdN9
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026
.@POTUS meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa: "Syria had one of the great cultures — the professors and lawyers and doctors — it had one of the great cultures of any country, not just the Middle East, and then it went through this terrible period of time.... They're proud of the job he's done."
Despite the new leadership, the evil threat of ISIS still remains.
MORE: U.S. Strikes Pound 30 ISIS Targets in Syria — Dozens Dead
'Terrible': Trump Speaks About US Troops Killed, Wounded in Syria 'Ambush,' What Comes Next
Why the heck would Trump make such gestures to the oft-troubled nation? According to the U.S. Embassy in Syria, it’s part of the administration’s efforts to stabilize the Middle East, despite our differences with many of the countries there.
GIVING SYRIA A CHANCE TO SUCCEED: President Trump is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors.
President Trump wants Syria to succeed—but not at the expense of U.S. interests. While seeking to reengage constructively, this Administration will continue to guard against all threats and monitor progress on key priorities: taking concrete steps toward normalizing ties with Israel, addressing foreign terrorists, deporting Palestinian terrorists and banning Palestinian terrorist groups, helping the United States prevent a resurgence of ISIS, and assuming responsibility for ISIS detention centers in northeast Syria.
Today @POTUS informed Congress of his intent to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. This historic step opens new possibilities for economic opportunity and recovery, giving the Syrian people a chance at greatness.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 8, 2026
A stable and prosperous Syria would certainly be preferable to the brutal repression of the Assad regime, which started with Hafez al-Assad from 1971 to 2000 and then continued with his son, Bashar, from 2000 to 2024 until he was ousted. Their reign was marked by internal conflicts, a devastating civil war from 2011 to 2024, and alleged support for terrorism.
The Middle East often seems like a hopeless, endless quagmire, but for the moment, at least, it would seem that Syria is on an upward path.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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