Syrian president hails Syria's removal from US terror list

A drone view shows Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syria, August 14, 2026. /VCG A drone view shows Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syria, August 14, 2026. /VCG Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Tuesday that his country had shaken off a dark stain after the US removed it from the state sponsors of terror list the day prior."Today, Syria shakes off a dark stain and tears away a painful chapter of its past to embark on a path of development, reconstruction and rebuilding," Sharaa said in a speech.On Monday, US Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Thomas Barrack said Washington had formally revoked the designation of Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism.Washington designated Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 and has maintained the designation for decades, citing then Syrian government's ties with Lebanon's Hezbollah, Palestinian factions, and Iran. (With input from agencies)