President Donald Trump yesterday informed his Syrian counterpart Ahmed Al Sharaa that he had decided to remove the country from the US list of designated state sponsors of terrorism.
“I promised to remove all barriers stopping you from rebuilding your country, and very soon, you will finally be able to do so,” Trump wrote in a letter to Al Sharaa seen by Reuters.
“We have US companies ready to invest in Syria and help make your country greater and more prosperous than ever before,” he added in the letter that a senior US administration official said was handed to Al Sharaa after their meeting in Ankara yesterday. Trump said he had notified Congress which will now conduct a 45-day review before the decision can take effect.
The designation as a state sponsor of terrorism carries restrictions on US foreign assistance, defense exports and certain financial transactions. Last month, Trump signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, allowing an end to the country’s isolation from the international financial system.
Several Saudi firms are planning billion-dollar investments as part of Riyadh’s efforts to support its recovery, while other Gulf states have also pledged financial assistance.
l Trump said yesterday that he thought Israel would withdraw troops from southern Lebanon because it wanted to take that step, despite comments from Israel’s leader indicating otherwise. Trump told reporters at the Nato summit in Ankara that he had discussed a withdrawal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Yeah, I think they’re going to. I think they want to,” Trump said.
“So we have a deal with Israel and Lebanon. Yeah, they’ll leave. And I think it’s going to work out very well.”
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