Trump removes Syria from 'terrorism list'

The Trump administration on Monday formally removed Syria from the State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) blacklist, in a landmark move that unlocks export restrictions and allows for the US to supply military aid to the country. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that he also delisted Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's (HTS) designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, under his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, was the leader of HTS, an al-Qaeda offshoot. "These actions represent another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity," Rubio said. The move follows Israel bombing Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase last week, which escalated tensions between Washington and Damascus, as well as Syria's main foreign backer, Turkey. Read more: Trump removes Syria from 'terrorism list'