The United States formally removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, a decision implemented by the Trump administration nearly 47 years after Syria was added in 1979. The move opens new prospects for international investment and trade for Syria, which has faced long-standing US sanctions and financial restrictions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Syria’s new government had taken positive steps to distance itself from international terrorism, and that these measures were considered in removing the designation. President Donald Trump had already moved in July to lift broad economic sanctions on Syria.

The United States also withdrew its terrorist designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former rebel group once linked to al-Qaeda and led by current Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa welcomed the decision as historic, while Damascus hopes it will accelerate reconstruction and economic recovery. Iran, North Korea and Cuba remain on the US list.