A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers is calling on the Trump administration to strike Syria from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, pointing to significant political shifts since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. In a letter obtained exclusively by The Hill, the group argues that the country's new leadership has made substantial strides in cooperating with American counterterrorism objectives.
The letter, sent Wednesday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was signed by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representative Joe Wilson (R-S.C.). They contend that the conditions that warranted the terrorism designation—shared by Iran, North Korea, and Cuba—no longer apply to Syria under the government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who overthrew Assad and has since sought closer ties with Washington, backed by Gulf allies and Turkey.
Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Wilson, a House Foreign Affairs Committee member, have been instrumental in pushing Congress to support al-Sharaa’s leadership while demanding concrete commitments on counterterrorism cooperation in exchange for sanctions relief. The lawmakers noted that al-Sharaa's administration has “demonstrated continued commitment to counterterrorism operations within Syria,” but acknowledged that further progress is needed.
“While Syria does need to make more progress in a variety of areas, discussed further below, the grounds for the SST designation in U.S. law no longer apply,” they wrote. “The listing remains a significant barrier to achieving the Administration and congressional priority of giving Syria a chance to succeed.”
Removing the SST label would clear the way for American and international investment in Syria, which faces an estimated $216 billion in reconstruction costs after more than a decade of civil war. The designation currently blocks U.S. foreign assistance, bans defense exports, and restricts dual-use items, while allowing for harsher sanctions. The lawmakers emphasized that the terrorism listing is “the most significant remaining legal impediment to Syria’s reconstruction” and that its removal could unlock opportunities for economic development and capacity building.
The letter also presses Rubio to push Syria to sever its military ties with Russia, including by expelling Russian forces from the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the naval facility in Tartus. The group calls for the administration to urge al-Sharaa to share power across Syria’s diverse communities, ensure women have leadership roles in governance and security, and remove foreign fighters from senior positions. They also demand progress on designating groups like Hezbollah as terrorist organizations and achieving peaceful integration with Kurdish and Druze populations.
“Removal of the SST designation does not mean deprioritizing these steps, which are critical to securing a free and prosperous future,” the letter states. “Rather, it is an acknowledgment that reliance on SST instead of more targeted tools for leverage is counterproductive to achieving our shared priorities.”
The push comes amid broader debates over U.S. foreign policy tools, including recent Supreme Court decisions expanding presidential removal authority that could reshape executive power. The lawmakers’ appeal also follows a new poll showing broad bipartisan support for mandatory AI safety reviews, reflecting a trend of cross-party cooperation on security issues.
