New York Post reports State Department moved to remove Syria from U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list

The Trump administration is moving to remove Syria from the United States’ State Sponsors of Terrorism list, according to a report published Monday by the New York Post. The outlet said the Department of State has formally taken Syria off the list as U.S. ties with Damascus warm.

The report frames the change as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to “mend fences” with Syria, pointing to a shift in diplomatic approach rather than an isolated bureaucratic update. It did not, in the materials available here, provide the specific administrative notice, effective date, or the internal legal or procedural mechanism used for the delisting.

A State Sponsors of Terrorism designation is a distinct U.S. government label that carries counterterrorism and foreign-policy implications. As a result, a formal removal is expected to affect how the U.S. government treats Syria under the various statutory and executive authorities that reference the list, including how agencies structure compliance requirements and enforcement priorities for related restrictions.

The reported move also has potential implications for other U.S. policy areas connected to Syria, including diplomatic engagement and bilateral negotiations. If the change is implemented as described, it would represent a significant shift in Washington’s official posture toward Damascus, with possible downstream effects for ongoing discussions involving regional security.

It remains unclear from the report alone whether any notice will appear in official Federal Register materials or whether the Department of State will publish an accompanying explanation describing the criteria used to justify the change. Confirmation of the action, including the effective date and any supporting rationale, was not found in the official evidence available for this draft.

The New York Post’s report sets up a period of scrutiny from lawmakers and outside groups that have previously argued that the State Sponsors of Terrorism designation is essential to deterrence and leverage. Any final confirmation from the White House or the Department of State would be expected to determine how the U.S. government describes the policy rationale and how agencies implement the change across relevant government systems.